Unfinished Business
by nerdielady
Summary: Sixth story in a series about Spock and Uhura. Sequel to "The Rest of the Mission". This story starts with the reason Spock left for Gol and continues on past the end of the first movie.
1. Chapter 1: Bitter Ashes

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 1 : Bitter Ashes**

**August, 2270**

The five year mission had ended and the crew had scattered to the four winds for long leave while the ship was being refitted and re-provisioned. The two of them had traveled together, publicly for the first time, to another small cabin on a different lake, on a planet where they had never been before. Their plan was to stay here for two weeks, just enjoying being together, relaxing, recovering from stress. And then to Vulcan, where things would be very formal. And then to Earth, to Africa, where things would be very warm and happy. They had much to share, much that had been concealed until now.

They had been here three days, most of it spent exactly where they were right now, tangled together on the bed. He lay between her legs, his head pillowed on her belly, while she ran her fingers through his hair, relaxed, sated, happy. And then he stilled, lay impossibly still, until she breathed a question. And he took her fingers from his hair and laid them under his cheek and shared the wonder with her. And felt such a swell of overpowering joy flood through him that he could barely contain it.

He awoke in the middle of the night a week later. She was in great pain. He bolted upright, raised the lights, saw the spreading stain on the sheets, felt her rage and sorrow. He touched her face gently, trying to share, wanting desperately to help, and she cried out and pounded him with her fists and screamed and shook. He recoiled in dismay. She curled herself into a ball and sobbed. He rose and gathered her up, sheets and all, and stumbled out to the flitter, heading for the town at top speed. He carried her into the hospital, laid her on the gurney, watched in stunned disbelief as they wheeled her away.

Heart aching, he stood where he was until the doctor returned, telling him she would be fine, there would be no permanent damage, they could try again, sometimes these things just weren't meant to be. He stood and endured the man until he finished. He nodded. He turned and walked away, back to the flitter, back to the cabin by the lake. He stood on the shore, shoulders slumped, body racked with pain. He had felt her despair, her pain, the bleakness that had overwhelmed her. Surely she hated him now, blamed him for what had happened. He did not see how she would ever forgive him this pain, this sorrow. His body bowed under the weight of it, he sank on his knees, pounded his fists into the ground. Great sobs tore through his body, shaking it.

After some indeterminable amount of time, he recovered sufficiently to do what needed to be done. With great care and tenderness, he closed down the link between them. Almost, he did the final thing needed to break that link completely, but he could not bring himself to do it. He left only a bare trickle, enough that he could tell she still lived. Slowly he built walls around that last tenuous connection, sealing it off inside the most secret part of himself. The lack of that bright presence within his mind was almost enough to send him over the edge into blackness. He trembled and shuddered. It took great fortitude to regain his control over himself, his emotions. He rose and turned to the cabin, packing his things, her things. Her things were damp as he folded them into her duffle. Water seemed to fall from somewhere onto them.

He put both duffles into the flitter. Back to the hospital. He carried her bag into the building, gave it into the care of the woman behind the desk. Paid all her bills, left there a sum sufficient for her transportation back to Earth. These things he could do for her, if nothing else. He walked down the hall, stood outside her room in the darkness, watched her sleeping there. His cheeks were wet again. He did not understand how this kept happening.

He turned, left the building, sat in the flitter. There was only one option left to him now. He headed for the spaceport, turned in the flitter, booked his passage to Vulcan. He left his duffle sitting on a bench in the spaceport there, little caring what happened to it, and headed for Gol.


	2. Chapter 2:Help Me

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 2 : Help Me**

**September, 2270**

McCoy was sitting in his comfortable armchair, in his own study, reading, when the comlink chime sounded. Grumpily, he rose to see who it was. He was not really expecting anyone at this hour. When he activated the screen, the image that appeared there was not one he had anticipated at all. Nyota's face stared out at him, and she did not look good at all. Her skin was the wrong color, and there was sweat beaded on her forehead, and she was slumped off to one side.

"Good God, woman! What's wrong?"

"Help me, Len, please." There were tears on her face.

"Where are you?"

"In … Atlanta. At the spaceport. In a hotel. Sick."

"I can tell you're sick, dollface. Just stay there. I'll be there as soon as I can. Don't worry. I'll take care of you." He clicked off the comlink and ran for his flitter, in the air in nothing flat. He programmed the autopilot for the spaceport in Atlanta, at maximum speed, and got on the air, asking for information about the hotels at the spaceport. By the time he was on the outskirts of Atlanta, he knew which hotel she was in, and which room, and had alerted the management to the fact that she was ill, and he was her personal physician. He landed right outside the door, and burst in, finding the man there, wringing his hands, afraid that someone would think the hotel responsible for the guest's condition.

The manager let him into her room, and he found her almost unconscious. A quick scan told him that something was seriously wrong. He injected her with antibiotics, and started a saline drip to rehydrate her, and got her up in his arms. The manager quickly checked through the room, to be sure she had nothing that was not in her duffel, and then followed behind him, the duffel in his hand. He settled her into the back seat of his flitter, and fastened the webbing down around her. The manager handed him the duffel and he set it on the floor, and then he was in his seat, and headed back home, burning up the air.

He put her in his guest room, and worked on her the rest of the night. He had never been so thankful for the complete medical office he had there at the house as he was that night. It was hours before he found the reason for her illness. Even after he had determined that it was copper poisoning, he had not known the cause, until he did the final probe, and discovered that small bit of fetal tissue, still in place, pumping out poison. He cursed whoever had treated her for what must have been a miscarriage, for missing this, and almost killing her. And he cursed that green-blooded hobgoblin for leaving her alone, to deal with this on her own.

She did not regain consciousness for three days. By then, she was out of danger. But the damage to her reproductive system was severe. He was not sure how to tell her this, or whether he even should at this point. Perhaps she would eventually heal. For now, he needed to get her well, and responsive, not sunk into total depression as she was.

That looked to be a long road. He checked, she still had several weeks of leave left. She would spend them all right here. He had nothing better to do, waiting for his discharge papers, so that he could set up in private practice. He would devote all his time to this one patient, for she deserved nothing less.

Far away, on another planet entirely, a despairing man walked across the desert. He had no supplies with him, no water, no food. He ate what he found, drank when he came across a stream. And his mind was in turmoil, constantly. He could not think, he could not meditate, he barely functioned at all. The desert heat, the merciless sun, stripped away everything non-essential from him, his already lean body becoming scrawny and angular, his face hollow-cheeked and covered with dark stubble. His hair grew, becoming shaggy as he continued across the sands.

When the soles of his boots wore through, he discarded them. But he continued walking. Eventually, he came to the mountain that was his objective. Although he had made no attempt to track time, it had taken him two months, three weeks, and four days to reach this spot from the spaceport. He was unaware of this. It would not have mattered to him if he had been. He began to climb the rugged side of the mountain, his eyes on the stone buildings at the summit. He arrived there with bleeding feet and hands, of which he took no notice at all.

They took him in, and gave him a room, more of a cell, which contained only a flat pad for sleeping, and a hook to hold the robe they gave him. They also gave him a pair of simple sandals. This was all the clothing that he needed. There was a firepot in the corner of the room, and he spent half of every day there, trying to calm himself, for an indeterminate amount of time. And when he could speak again, they began to teach him, to train him in the way they would have him go. He did not find it easy.


	3. Chapter 3:Necessary Work

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 3 : Necessary Work**

**November, 2270**

Rear Admiral James T Kirk, Chief of StarFleet Operations at Starfleet Headquarters in San Francisco, sat at his desk, his head cushioned in his hands, his elbows planted firmly on the desktop. He looked at the piles of paperwork and PADDS that covered said desk in despair. He really, really needed a break from paperwork, the never-ending paperwork. Even more, he needed an aide, someone who understood him, who knew how he worked. He needed a friend to talk to. With that thought, he straightened up. He knew exactly who he needed to talk to. And he lost no time in activating the comlink on the corner of his desk and calling that person.

"Bones, Bones, it's so damn good to see your ugly face."

"Well, hello to you, too. What the heck is the matter with you, anyway? You look downright pathetic, Jim."

"Paperwork! Unbelievable amounts of paperwork! I'm drowning in it. I never get out of this chair! It's going to kill me." He groaned loudly for extra emphasis.

Bones cackled. "I told you not to accept that promotion."

"And just how did you think I was going to get out of it? It certainly wasn't my idea. Why the hell did you bail out on me, Bones? I need someone to talk to out here or I'm going to go bonkers."

McCoy's face got much solemner very suddenly. "I just couldn't do it anymore, Jim. Every time I turned around, something happened to that damn ship and I remembered just how precariously we were situated. It finally got to the point where I just had to get back on the ground for a while."

Jim nodded at his friend, and then heaved a heavy sigh. "Yeah, I know. It was hard, all right. But it was a damn sight better than all this stupid paperwork! I'm not kidding, this job is going to kill me."

"Well, hell, man, surely you can get a handle on it."

"I need an aide. Really, truly. Someone who understands me and can help me make some sense out of this mess." He sighed again. "You wouldn't know anyone that fits that description, would you, Bones?"

The other man was quiet so long that Jim wondered what he had said that caused the other man to think so hard. And then he spoke again.

"I do, Jim. I really do. I think I have just the person for you, right here in my house." He cocked his head and his eyes bored right into his former captain's. "But I'm telling you, you're going to have to handle her with kid gloves for a while. Somethin' bad happened to her, and she's still reelin' from it. You have to not be your obnoxious self for a while, and keep your lip buttoned up. NO questions. I mean NO QUESTIONS. You got that?"

Jim looked at him in amazement. "What are you going on about, Bones? Who are you talking about?"

"Uhura."

"Uhura is at your house? Why?"

"I said no questions. What part of that didn't you understand?"

"You're dead serious."

"Never been more serious in my life."

"Is she okay?"

"She will be. But right now she really needs something to focus on, and I think just maybe tons of boring paperwork could be that something. Are you interested?"

"Interested? I'm salivating here. My best communications officer as my full-time aide? I never even considered that possibility. What do I have to do?"

"Let me talk to her. Her leave time's almost up, but I don't think she's gotten any new orders yet. I'll get back to you." And he signed off.

Kirk sat there for some time, thinking. Something serious had happened to Uhura, and Bones wasn't about to tell him what, and had warned him severely about asking questions. He could do that. He could.

The following week, when she appeared in his doorway, he jumped up out of his seat and rushed forward, stopping just before he got to her. She surely did look like something dreadful had happened to her. Tactfully, he did not mention that, just took her orders and welcomed her to her new position, and showed her where her office was. He gave her an hour to familiarize herself with the equipment, find the coffee room and the ladies' head, and then brought her an armload of stuff off his desk. They were in business.

After that, the control over the retrofit of the Enterprise went a whole lot smoother. And he actually had time to deal with the really important stuff, because she was handling all the routine paperwork for him. But she was so quiet, so unlike herself that he worried. And once a week, he talked to Bones, and they both worried.

On top of a mountain, in the middle of a vast desert, there sat some simple buildings, where the adepts of kolinahr resided. In those simple buildings also lived those who were attempting to learn this discipline, to completely purge their minds of emotion, setting them free from their body's influence entirely, leaving their minds pure and free, totally ruled by logic. At least, that was the goal.

One student there was there, who continued to struggle. For hours each day, he meditated, trying to force his mind into submission, trying to find peace. It did not come. Mind and body both were racked with pain. The adepts watched him, but did not interfere. This was his own battle. He could not begin the teachings until his mind was ready to accept them.


	4. Chapter 4:Do You Know Where He Is?

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 4 : Do You Know Where He Is?**

**December, 2270**

Sarek was working at his desk in his home office when the comlink chimed. He was not expecting a call from anyone. Trying not to frown at the interruption, he activated the screen. There in front of him was the young woman that Spock had introduced them to on the Enterprise. He had called her his bondmate. "Nyota Uhura. I was not expecting a call from you."

"No, sir, I know that you weren't." She bit her lip, obviously not sure how to continue.

"Is there something I can help you with?" He sat and waited, wondering what the call was about.

"Do you know where he is? Can you tell me? Please." Her face was drawn, like she was only barely holding herself together.

He frowned. Surely she was not referring to Spock. If she were truly his bondmate, she could use the link to locate him. "To whom are you referring?"

"To Spock. I don't know where he is. I need to know that he's all right."

"Is there any reason to believe that he is in any difficulties? I do not understand what the problem is."

"Didn't he come to Vulcan?"

"My son has not been to Vulcan in some time." He watched the young woman's face dissolve into tears. She dashed at them with her hands, trying to regain her composure. She looked back at him, took a deep breath, and spoke again.

"I am sorry to have bothered you. If you hear from him, would you please let me know that he's all right?"

"Should the situation arise, I will ensure that you are notified." She did not look too happy with the way he had worded his statement, but she nodded and broke off the call. He sat there at his desk, trying to figure out what that had all been about. Was Spock not still on the Enterprise? And if not, why not? And where was he? He shook his head. He had no answers and insufficient information. This was not a problem he could solve, if indeed there even was a problem.

It was a week later, while he was in his office in the government complex, that he received the second unexpected call. This one came from someone at the space port. "Osu Sarek, I do not wish to disturb your work, but there is something which I must call to your attention."

"Please tell me what the nature of your call is."

"Only this day have we discovered, in the lost and found area, a duffle bag which was apparently accepted into the lost and found without being checked for identification. It has been sitting here for four months. It bears the identification marker of your son Spock, with his StarFleet address. We are sorry that we were unable to provide this luggage to him while he was visiting you. Please tell us what to do with it."

Sarek sat there stunned. Spock's duffle had been at the spaceport for four months? What possible explanation could there be for this. "Please have this duffel delivered to my office here in the government complex. I thank you for informing me of this." He would not dwell on what this meant. He would wait to examine the duffel, to see whether there was evidence of foul play.

When the duffel arrived, he thanked the messenger, and sat the bag on his desk, looking over it. It was not damaged in any way. The seals had not been forced, there were no stains on it. He carefully opened it, and found one uniform, and a number of pants and tunics, clothing that would not be out-of-place on Vulcan. There was also underwear. In an inside pocket, he found an unused ticket to Vulcan, made in the name of Nyota Uhura. And two tickets from Vulcan to Africa on Earth, one in Spock's name, and one in Uhura's. He sat down heavily in his chair, holding the tickets. There had obviously been a plan for both of them to come to Vulcan together, and she had not come with him. He did not have any idea why not. And then they had planned to travel to Earth together, to the continent of her origin. What had happened to change these plans? And where was Spock?

He turned immediately to the comlink, and searched the public records of four months ago, looking for injuries, or accidents, or episodes of violence - anything which might offer a reason for his son's disappearance. He found nothing. And then he searched, and found the security archives from the space port, and found the logs that detailed people leaving. It took him four long hours of searching, but he found him, striding unsteadily out of the spaceport with empty hands. Why had he left his duffle behind? Where had he been heading? Why did he look the way he did? There were too many questions and not enough answers.

He found himself delving through other logs, trying to trace Spock's progress through the city. He caught glimpses of him, here and there, always heading in one direction. And then he was on the edge of town, headed straight out across the desert, ignoring anything and everything about him. Sarek looked at the map he had been marking, and drew a straight line through all the points, extending it until it hit something. The monastery at Gol. He sat there stunned. Surely Spock had not crossed the entire desert on foot? He must know. He rose from his desk, and descended to the carpark, and entered his flitter, headed for Gol.

He talked long and hard before the adepts granted him permission to see his son. When he entered the small room that they had said was Spock's, his son was seated on the stone floor, his eyes cast down. Even wearing the rough robe that all the penitents wore, Sarek could see that Spock had lost far too much weight. His hair and skin were dull and lifeless, and his eyes, when he eventually raised them, were cold and empty.

He seated himself as Spock was, on the hard stone, with his legs crossed in front of him, his hands on his thighs. "It is good to see you, my son."

Spock looked at him with almost no curiosity at all. "Why is it good?"

"You are my son. I was not aware that you were here. Your mother is not aware that you are here. We did not know that you had left StarFleet."

"How did you discover my whereabouts?"

"The young woman from the Enterprise, that you introduced your mother and I to, called to ask if I knew where you were. I told her I did not. And then a week later, someone called from the spaceport, and said that your duffle was in the lost and found. After that, I was able to deduce where you were."

Spock looked back at him. "Nyota called you?"

"Yes, indeed she did. Why is it that she does not know where you are?"

"She did not wish my presence any longer." Spock's voice was hollow.

"If she did not wish your presence, why did she call me?" He could make no sense of what his son was saying. He needed to get him out of here, and under the care of the healers.

Spock hung his head. "I do not know. But she made it plain to me that she blamed me for what had happened. She hit my body. I… I had no wish to cause her more pain, and so I left. I did provide for her, so that she did not have to pay the bills and could travel back to Earth. It was the least that I could do." His voice was full of pain, and his eyes were shut, and he rocked slowly back and forth, as though trying to calm himself.

Sarek looked at his son, lost. He was not sure what had happened, but he did not think that Spock understood the event, either. "Spock, please tell me what happened, from the beginning."

And so slowly, with many pauses, in a choked voice, Spock told his father everything that had happened once they had left the Enterprise. And Sarek sat there shocked. His son had done something unspeakable. How had he ever thought that this was the correct course of action?

"Spock, you have not handled this correctly. And because of what you have done, I am unable to offer the protection of our house to her. I am extremely disappointed in you, my son. And you have left your post in StarFleet without permission, as well. These actions are simply not acceptable. You were raised to have more responsibility than that. What do you have to say for yourself?"

"I can say nothing. I did what I felt was right. She was in so much pain." His voice broke. "I did not wish to cause her any further pain, so I left her so that she could heal. I had no wish to disturb her any further." A single tear rolled down his cheek. "She was my life, and now my life has no meaning, no reason to continue. I am nothing without her."

Sarek was shaken to his core. "You have misunderstood her. You left her alone when she was in pain and grieving, and did nothing to share her grief. You must accept responsibility for your actions, my son."

Spock shuddered, but he said nothing more. At length, Sarek rose, and retreated from that room, going to find the adepts again. "My son is broken. I would take him from here, and place him with healers."

"He may leave if he wishes, but you may not take him from this place against his will."

Sarek bent his head, his thoughts bitter. There was no way that Spock would go with him now, not in the condition he was in. He had lost his second son, as well as his first.


	5. Chapter 5:I Will Endure

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 5 : I Will Endure**

**January, 2271**

Lieutenant Nyota Uhura sat at her desk at StarFleet Headquarters in San Francisco, and processed the unending stream of paperwork directed at Rear Admiral James Kirk. She did her job well, her skills as a communications officer helping her to deal with the people who insisted that it was imperative that they see the Admiral right this minute. She was civil to the other employees on the floor where she worked, but she did not socialize with any of them, although she had been invited. She did not socialize with anyone. When her workday was finished, she returned to her quarters, and nearly always stayed inside until she left for work again the next morning. The synthesizer in her quarters had a wonderfully varied menu, and she seldom went to the mess hall.

In the evenings, she sat alone in her dimly lit rooms, and worried at what had happened to her. She still did not understand it. She had awakened all alone in that hospital room, and they had told her that Spock had brought her possessions, and left them there, and paid all her bills, and left her an account with the transportation system, so that she might go wherever she wished when she was released. There had been no note from him, nor any recorded message, nor had he given any reason to the people he had dealt with that explained his actions. She did not understand it. Not at all. Nor did she understand what had happened to him. He had simply vanished.

Over time, she spent less time worrying about these things, and began to accept an occasional invitation to join some of the others for a meal, or a drink. But she remained reserved, and did not ever really let herself become involved with anyone or anything. Not even Jim Kirk, although he slowly began to try to tempt her out and about. She always politely refused. She had her work, and it kept her mind busy all day, and that was sufficient.

Across space, on a dry desert planet, in a monastery on top of a mountain, Spock sat and meditated. He worked at purging the memories of his years in StarFleet from his mind, trying to forget the friends he had made there, and the research he had done, and the duties he had left behind. He did not find any of this at all easy. In fact, he found it almost impossible. However, that did not stop him from continuing to try.

Some months after his first visit, Sarek came again, and sat and talked to him. He asked what he intended to do about his commitment to StarFleet. He replied that he had exceeded the service time expected of him, and that he would resign his commission. Sarek sighed, and said he would inform StarFleet. Sarek tried again to get him to come away with him, to put himself in the care of healers, and he replied that there was nothing to heal. That life was dead and gone, and he must accept that. Sarek left, unsatisfied, and unhappy.

The following week, when he contacted StarFleet and informed them of Spock's decision, there was consternation. There were demands to speak directly to Spock, which he could not grant. Unfortunately, he had made this call from his home, and not from his office, and Amanda overheard part of it, the loud part of the man on the other end, demanding access to his son. When the call was over, she came into the room, and demanded to know what was going on. He sighed, and told her what he knew. She sat there beside him and cried. He felt like crying himself.

And in the monastery, on top of the mountain in the desert, there sat a man, in meditation, who realized, finally and fully, that he had failed. He had failed the one who meant the most to him, he had left her, alone and traumatized, to deal with problems that he should have been there to help her with, to grieve alone. He was no longer fit to be considered a man. He was contemptible. There was no possible way that anyone who was aware of the facts would look on him in a favorable aspect, ever again. She was lost to him, and his life was only bitter ashes.


	6. Chapter 6:The Lady's Back

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 6 : The Lady's Back**

**December, 2272**

Jim Kirk sat back with his drink in his hand and surveyed the gala. They were celebrating the end of dry dock for the refitted Enterprise. Very soon now they would start restaffing, beyond the skeleton crew that had been aboard during the refitting. The celebration might be just a bit premature, but it was a great time of year for a party. And he had had the great pleasure of handing out promotions this morning, so there were a few extra celebrations going on as well. One he had been especially happy about had gone to the lovely young woman he was watching. Nyota Uhura was now a Lieutenant Commander, and she certainly deserved it. Without that woman's constant work for the last two years, his desk would be piled several feet deep with unprocessed paper work and he would certainly have had a heart attack by now.

He continued to watch her, observing how she had changed over the last two years. She was smiling again. Not the glowing wonder that her smile used to be, on the Enterprise, but a real smile and not a grimace pretending to be a smile. She was still much too quiet, but moved with more animation now, although, again, not what it used to be. He missed that other woman, the one who didn't seem to exist any more. He still wondered what had happened to her, but Bones refused to tell him, and he knew better than to question her. Bones said if she wanted him to know, she would tell him, and he would just have to live with that.

The next person who caught his eye was Captain Willard Decker, the man who had commanded the Enterprise throughout the refit. He really envied that man. He missed being on the ship. Missed it with his whole being. He wasn't meant to be a desk jockey. He sighed. Maybe one day he could get back out in space. But not today, not this week, almost certainly not this year. Decker was a good man, a little green yet, but he had been handling things well. A few years into the next mission and he would have his feet solidly under him.

And there was Scotty, headed his way with a bottle of whiskey in his hand. He grinned at the greying Scotsman, glad to see him. He held out his glass and it was filled with something brown and shimmering that slid down his throat with a smooth burn. Ah, yes, trust Scotty to have the best drinkables anywhere. He sat back and listened to a long monologue on the new engines, Scotty's pride and joy. And Uhura even wandered over, and gave Scotty a hug. That was something he was certainly glad to see.

There was someone missing though, someone he missed very badly. His first officer and one of his few real friends, had disappeared after the end of the mission they had served on together, and no one really seemed to know what had happened to him, other than his father reporting that he had resigned his commission. That was a mystery he had no way to solve, and it nagged at him, an itch in the back of his mind that would not go away. Several times he had started to ask Uhura if she knew what had happened to him, but every time he had drawn back without bringing it up. Something just told him not to. He shook his head. This was not the time or the place to dwell on what he could not change. This was a time to celebrate.

He stepped out into the small cleared area, and lifted his glass high, toasting the newly refitted Enterprise. Everyone in the room joined in, their voices ringing. It was a good night, a very good night. Even if he wouldn't be shipping out on that ship when it left Earth-orbit. He would get over it. He had no choice.


	7. Chapter 7:Danger

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 7 : Danger**

**February, 2273**

In the Vulcan desert, in a region of rocks and fumaroles and hot pools of mud, there knelt an adult Vulcan male, clothed in the robes of a kolinahr penitent of some years standing. He had his hands clasped in front of him, the first two fingers of each hand extended and touching each other. His head was bowed. While he knelt there, in deep meditation, something called out to him. He was aware that there was something there, something that he should be concerned with. He stood, looking into the sky, his hand raised to shield his eyes, but there was nothing there. Nothing at all in that direction except the planet where could be found the headquarters of the Federation and its defensive and exploratory service, Starfleet. He did not understand why he felt such a strong pull in that direction, why his very katra seemed torn. He had put all that aside. Finally. It had taken him two long years, and more, but he had done it. Had he not?

As darkness began to fall across the rocky plateaus of the high desert, he began to climb the rough stone stairs, toward the towering statues of the Vulcan Warriors, standing guard with their lirpas, where the adepts awaited him. He offered the ta'al to the three standing there at the foot of the warrior, and they returned the gesture. The adepts spoke to him, of the meaning of kolinahr, and of his long struggle to attain its peace. And in her hands, the leader of them all held a medallion, ready to offer it to him, as a symbol of what he had done, how he had progressed, what he had attained.

He knelt before her, and she raised the medallion, on its beaded thong, ready to slip it over his head. But he raised his hand, blocking her. He could not accept this. He had not truly attained his goal. He felt. He was needed. And he could not deny those who had need of him. He could not deny what he felt. Although he strained to subdue it, it was there. And he must respond. There was great danger, and his place was in opposing it.

The leader of the three looked at him, and then she laid her hand upon his face, and joined their minds. She withdrew and looked upon him, stating that she could feel him being drawn across space, that there was a consciousness there that sought him. And that his human side felt it and desired to answer. He had not attained kolinahr. He would not find his answers here, in this place, in this discipline. And she dropped the medallion on the ground in front of him, and turned and walked away, the other two following her.

Spock stayed there, kneeling, after they had disappeared. At length, he picked the medallion up off the ground and held it, looking at it. And realized, deep inside, that this had never been the correct answer, that he could not purge himself of what he felt, of how he responded. That these feelings were a part of him that could not be separated out from the rest of him without destroying who he was. He was not sure how to react, what to do. He had been here long, subduing parts of himself, trying to become someone else, something other than what he was. He did not know now who he was, or what he was, only that there was something that he must do.

Eventually, he rose, and stalked away across the desert. When he came to a place where there were communications, he contacted his father, who came quickly and transported him home, asking no questions, demanding no answers. In the room where he had grown from a child, he washed his body, and cut his hair, and found that new clothing had been provided for him, suitable to his station. And when he had greeted his parents, and endured his mother's tears, and her scolding, he asked to use the comlink, and contacted StarFleet, and asked to take his commission back, to aid against the great danger that was coming. A ship was sent for him in great haste.

At the main StarFleet terminus, Admiral James Kirk exited from the monorail car onto the main level, and almost immediately saw the newly appointed science officer for the Enterprise, Commander Sonak. He held a quick conversation with the Vulcan, as he headed for his meeting with Admiral Nogura. Sonak appeared surprised when Kirk informed him that the Enterprise would be leaving dock in twelve hours, not the twenty that Decker had told him, and even more surprised when Kirk told him to report to him there in one hour. Report to Kirk, and not to Decker. The Vulcan stood there, after Kirk had walked quickly away, still not sure what was happening.

When Kirk arrived at the dry dock headquarters, Scotty was there to transport him to the Enterprise in one of the new pods. To Kirk's abrupt query as to why the transporters were not working, Scotty replied that it was just a temporary thing. Scotty asked why the change in departure orders, saying that things were not ready, the crew had not had enough time to familiarize themselves with the new equipment, the engines had not been tested at warp speed, they needed a shake-down cruise. And the Kirk turned to him and informed him that there was a giant object headed for Earth, and only three days away, and the Enterprise was the only starship within range that could hope to intercept it. That was all Scotty needed to hear.

The bridge was in chaos. There were last minute installations and checks going on at all stations. At the communications console, Lieutenant Commander Uhura was answering message after message, promising to send people to hot spots as soon as possible. Kirk stood at the open turbolift doors, surveying the scene. When Uhura saw him there, he stepped forward, and was greeted by Chekov and Sulu, and others that he recognized as well. He was very glad that he had been able to get so many of his original crew back aboard. It would make things so much easier. Uhura informed him that StarFleet Command had just transmitted his orders, and he was filled with pride and eagerness. To be back in space, back on the bridge, even with this unknown ahead of them, was what he needed, what he had desired every minute since the time he had left.

He asked for Decker, and was told that he was in Engineering, and did not know of the change of orders. He told Chekov to assemble the crew, so that he could show them what they were facing, and re-entered the turbolift, headed for Engineering.

He found Decker. He explained what was happening. Decker almost failed to believe him. The man was pissed. He hadn't expected anything else. He tried to apologize, but Decker refused to accept it, not believing him.

Scotty was working at replacing the damaged module in the transporter controller when there was a small explosion and sparks flew. Unfortunately, someone in the transporter bay had activated the transporter without checking to see that it was in working order. Scotty ordered them to break off, to not engage, but it was too late, the beam was already activated. He set off at a run for the transporter bay, Kirk along side.

There were two people in the beam, trying to form without sufficient signal. There were sounds, horrible sounds. And then the signal faded. StarFleet command confirmed that they had not survived. Kirk assured Rand that it had not been her fault, but she did not believe him. Commander Sonak was one of the two crewmen who had been lost. Now the ship was without a science officer. Things were not off to an auspicious start, not at all.


	8. Chapter 8:The Return

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 8 : The Return**

**March, 2273**

When Bones beamed in, with a mustache, and full beard, Jim could hardly control his laughter. The doctor was feeling his body, to be sure that it had all materialized. He stepped down off the transporter deck, grousing about being drafted, but when Jim very convincingly said that he needed him badly, he took the proffered hand and clasped it tightly. And then he headed for sick bay, complaining about everything possible as he exited through the door. Behind him, Jim grinned. Things were almost back to normal.

They were ready. The crew sat at their stations on the bridge, and they began the slow movement necessary to clear the dry dock scaffolding. Everything was fine until they went to warp one. And then they entered a wormhole. They lost all controls. And then they detected an asteroid ahead of them, that had been sucked into the wormhole along with them. Unfortunately, it was not moving as fast as they were. When they managed to destroy it with a photon torpedo, they also blew free of the wormhole. Luckily there were no casualties and no damage to the ship.

But the wormhole had been created by an imbalance in the engines, and warp drive would not be possible until it had been corrected.

Jim and Bones were in the captain's quarters, in serious discussion, when there was a call from the bridge. Uhura told him that there was a Federation shuttle requesting permission to come alongside, and Chekov said that it had a high priority and was probably a courier of some sort. He told them to see to it, and turned back to Bones.

When the shuttle pod docked, and Chekov went to meet the supposed courier, he was first puzzled when the occupant was described as StarFleet Inactive, and then delighted when the door slid aside and Mr Spock stepped out, dressed in Vulcan robes. "Permission to come aboard, sir."

"Granted, sir, granted." But Chekov's welcoming smile died when Spock turned and strode off down the corridor without another word. Chekov turned, and followed him, going back to the bridge.

The turbolift doors opened, and Spock stepped out, turning his head to see Uhura sitting there. When she saw him, Uhura rose from her seat with a gasp, staring at him. She leaned one hand against the back of her chair, bracing herself, her whole body leaning in his direction, her eyes glued to him. He turned his head and looked straight forward, toward the bridge pit, not reacting to her in any way.

Hearing the gasp, Kirk turned the command chair about, saying "What?" And rose up out of his seat, leaning on the railing around the bridge pit. "Spock!" Spock looked at him, a stern expression on his face, but said nothing. There was absolutely no expression on his face at all.

Sulu was also on his feet, calling out Spock's name. The only person on the bridge who had not risen to welcome him was Commander Decker, and that was the person Spock turned to. When he spoke, Decker rose from the Science station and handed Spock the device he had been using. Spock did something at the console, and then spoke, without turning to look at anyone, telling Kirk that he had been monitoring their communications and was aware of their engine design difficulties. His voice was deep, and almost flat, almost harsh, and entirely without inflection. And then he did turn, and look at Kirk, and he offered his services as Science Officer. Kirk accepted without a second's hesitation. And he watched Uhura standing there, watching Spock, a real smile on her face. Her dimples even showed.

He had just told Chekov to log Spock's service reactivation and his position, when McCoy and Chapel entered the bridge from the other turbolift, offering words of welcome. McCoy even said that he was actually pleased to see him. Spock lifted his head and looked at them, like he had never seen them before. There was nothing on his face to indicate that he even knew them. The smiles left their faces and they looked at each other, not sure what was happening. Kirk noticed that the smile had left Uhura's face as well.

Spock turned and headed for the turbolift. Just as he reached the doors, Uhura spoke. "It's the way we all feel, Mr Spock." He hesitated, but he did not look at her, or speak, but turned his head back to the small device in his hands. He then swiveled about and told Kirk that he would go and give the engineer the fuel equations that he had worked out. He turned again, headed into the turbolift. But when Kirk called his name, he hesitated again, and half turned his head over his shoulder. "Welcome aboard."

He did not turn, he did not speak. He simply stepped forward the rest of the way into the turbolift, and the doors closed behind him, leaving the bridge in silence.

Author's Note : This chapter is based VERY closely on the corresponding scene from the movie. I am not making up any of the looks or reactions (or lack thereof).


	9. Chapter 9:Pondering

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 9 : Pondering**

**March, 2273**

Uhura stood there, not quite sure what to do. He had looked so strange. So drawn. There were lines in his face that had not been there before. And his movements had been almost jerky at times, as though he must think about what he was doing. And he had not looked at her, not once, after that first second when he had walked through the turbolift doors, deliberately keeping his eyes away from her, not answering when she spoke to him, seemingly pretending that she was not there at all. She did not understand. She turned, and sank down into her chair, confused. It had been unexpected to see him, but something in her had been thrilled, even as odd as his behavior had been. She must attend to duty now, and wait until she was alone in her quarters to ponder over what she had seen and heard.

At shift-end, she went to the mess hall with her crew-mates, but after she had eaten, she went straight to her quarters, and changed into her favorite tee-shirt and loose pants, settling down on her couch, with soft music playing. She curled her feet up beside her, and held a pillow in her lap, her hands clutching at it, and reviewed what had happened earlier.

No one had been expecting him. He had simply appeared. How had he known about their mission? And where had he been all this time? In just four months, it would be three years since they had left the Enterprise, together. And she had no idea where he had been since he had left her at the hospital, nor any understanding yet as to _why_ he had left her there. It had certainly not been an action that she could ever have anticipated. But that was not what she needed to think about tonight. No, what was bothering her now were the changes she had seen in him. He had lost weight. He had always been lean, but now he was spare. Even in the loose Vulcan tunic that he had worn, she had been able to see that his body was narrower than it had been. And those lines on his face - deep groves bracketing his mouth - those hadn't been there before.

He had experienced pain. That was very obvious. He was holding himself in so tightly, was so wound up, that she did not see how he was functioning. She did not understand. Not at all. Had he left her because he was in so much pain that he had been unable to function? Had he not understood that they needed to support each other? She wished that she could talk to him, find out what he had been through, but she knew that this was not the time.

And all the pain that she had fought was surging through her again, now that she had seen him. She must wade through it, and set herself free again, before she could do anything else.

The fact that he did not respond to her did not mean that he was unaware of her. He was desperately aware of her. Her scent filled his nostrils, and the trickle he allowed through the link intensified, but he held himself rigid, and did not react in any way. He left the bridge as quickly as possible, to escape the sight of her. He could not handle it, not yet.

He went to Stores, and drew his uniform allotment, and found the quarters that had been assigned to him. He changed into the odd new uniform and went down to Engineering, and took Scotty his calculations. Scotty enthused over them, and over him, and he did not know how to react. And so he did nothing, and said nothing, that was not required to make the necessary modifications.

And when they had fixed the engines, and warp drive was again possible, he returned to his quarters, and unpacked his few belongings, and set up his fire pot, and folded himself down on the floor, to think.

He had not expected to see her here. He did not know why he had not anticipated this. But it was true that he had not. Nor had he anticipated the hearty welcome that he had received from other crew members. Had he been that well liked? He had not been aware of it. Had friendship crept up on him so slowly that he had been unaware of it? Had he become accustomed to having friends? He could not seem to remember exactly how things had been before, and he only knew one way to act now. He must continue in the way that he had begun, sticking to duty, and ignoring all else. He did not dare to do anything that would possibly force a crack in the shell that he had built about himself. He would not be able to function at all if that happened.

She had looked different. Older. Her body slightly thicker. She should not have looked that much older in such a short time. It had to be an effect of what he had caused. Pain shot through him at that acknowledgement, and he found himself breathing far too fast, his heart pounding in his side. He steepled his hands, and concentrated, slowing both his breathing and his heartbeat, calming himself. He must not think of her. Surely she would not welcome that.

He went through the exercises that he had learned at Gol, putting these people aside, setting a barrier between himself and their welcome. He would function without friendship, he had no need of it. He was here to serve, to assist in forestalling what might come if they were not successful. He was not here to renew old acquaintances. He was most certainly not here for social interactions of any kind.

Kirk sat at the desk in his quarters and pondered over the events on the bridge. Spock had seemed strange, remote. Where had he been? What had he been doing? Even his voice was different, harsher, flatter. He did not look good, lines on his face, and he was too thin. He would not push and probe to find out the man's secrets, but he would coax him into unbending, unwinding, from the taut spring that he was now. If only he could figure out how.

McCoy sat in his small office, thinking hard. He had had so many ill thoughts of Spock over the last almost three years. But when he had heard that he was on board, all those thoughts had flown away. He had missed the green-blooded hobgoblin, and there was no denying it. There had to be an explanation for what had happened on whatever backwoods planet he and Uhura had been on. There must be. And the man had suffered, very obviously. He was painfully thin, and his face was lined and drawn. Whatever he had been doing, he had been in pain. There was absolutely no denying that. Somehow, he had to draw him out, to find out what he had been through. And somehow, he had to help his friends find each other again. They needed each other. There was certainly no denying that. Not in any way, shape, or form. He sighed. As if there were not enough problems with this mission already. He rose and stretched. He could do nothing about it tonight. Time for a nightcap and bed.


	10. Chapter 10:Why We're Here

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 10 : Why We're Here**

**March, 2273**

Kirk called Bones and Spock to meet him in the officer's lounge. He didn't expect the reaction - or lack thereof - that he got from Spock. The man acted almost like a robot, and referred to himself by his job function. Kirk was confused, and concerned.

"Science Officer Spock reporting as ordered, Captain."

Why did he have to order this man to talk to him? They had spent so many hours, sitting and talking, sometimes over a chess board, that it was almost second nature to discuss each new mission with him. And now it was so strange, and so difficult, to get anything from him at all. He asked him to sit down, and Spock just stood there, and stared at him, as though he hadn't heard the words at all. And then Bones had to make a crack, of course. That at least got the man to open his mouth, even if what came out was not what he wanted to hear. And his voice was still so flat and odd, not Spock at all.

Again he asked him to sit, and waved Bones toward one of the couches. And he started the conversation he wanted, armed with knowledge only recently obtained. "At last notice, you were on Vulcan, apparently to stay."

And Bones chipped in, mentioning that strange rite of the Vulcans, to divorce themselves entirely from emotion, but mispronouncing the name, probably on purpose.

This at least got Spock to say something, even if it was only to give the correct pronunciation, and to admit that he had indeed been studying the kolinahr.

Kirk seated himself on the arm of the couch Bones was on, and asked Spock why he would break that ritual, to come to them, and then in exasperation, asked the third time for Spock to sit down, which he finally did, stiffly bending himself to perch on the chair opposite them.

Spock then told them that he had sensed a great consciousness while he was still on Vulcan, a powerful source, with thought patterns of exactingly perfect order. It was his belief that they came from that object which was advancing on Earth, and he called it 'the intruder'. But the next statement out of his mouth was curious in the extreme. "I believe it may hold my answers."

What answers? And why would this object from who knows where have anything that would be beneficial at all to Spock's thought processes? Kirk was lost, not knowing how to reply to this strange statement. Once again, Bones jumped in with a light rejoinder, telling Spock how lucky he was that they just happened to be heading that way, with a grin on his face. Kirk cautioned him and turned back to Spock. "We need him. I need him."

"Then my presence here is to our mutual advantage."

Kirk stared at Spock, still not sure how to interpret what his old friend was saying, and still offput by the stillness of the man's face, the lack of any of the subtle signs that he had grown to recognize. What was wrong with him? And why, why had he chosen kolinahr? What had happened to change him so much?

He told Spock that he expected any thought patterns that he detected to be immediately reported, no matter whether he thought them to be of personal interest or not. And Spock looked solemnly back at him, and agreed. And then asked whether there was anything else. With one last, inscrutable look at Bones, and then back to Kirk, he rose and left the officer's lounge, his hands clasped behind him as he went.

When Spock had left, McCoy rose from his seat, and looked at Kirk with great concentration. "If this thing out there is as important to him as he says it is…." His voice trailed off.

Kirk looked back, equally disturbed. "That he won't put his own personal interests ahead of the rest of us?" He shook his head. "I can't believe that. He wouldn't." Before they could continue, the communicator on his wrist chimed, and Uhura's voice alerted him that they were only minutes away from visual contact with the cloud. He acknowledge, and headed for the bridge.

The first thing he did on reaching the bridge was to activate the red alert. Auxiliary crew members came running, to man all the stations on the bridge that were not necessary during normal operations. And then he ordered the cloud on the main viewer, at full magnification. Uhura informed him that she was hailing on all frequencies, with no response. And then Spock spoke up, in that strange, harsh voice he had now, telling him that they were being scanned. Quickly he told him not to return scan, that it would be interpreted as an attack.

Spock then said that the type of scan being used was one never before encountered. Uhura once again stated that there was no response to friendship messages. Chekov wanted to send the entire crew to battle stations. He reiterated that they would take no provocative actions. Decker leaned over the railing around the bridge pit and suggested a defensive posture, screens and shields. He thought about, and slowly replied that he would do nothing that might be interpreted as hostile.

He turned toward the science station, and asked Spock for the composition of the cloud. When Spock replied that it was a twelfth power energy field, both Sulu and Decker were alarmed, and he found himself out of his chair, and leaning over the railing toward Spock. Decker was insistent, saying that they had already seen what this thing's weapons could do, and that they must take defensive actions, when Spock interrupted, to say that he suspected that there was an object at the heart of that cloud.

He took a few seconds to think, to not respond to Decker's charges with anger, and realized that the man was just doing his job. He turned, and stood behind the pilot and navigator, and ordered a flight path that would take them to that object, and ordered it on the viewer. And they were headed in, towards who knew what, and to who knew what danger. It was what they were there for.


	11. Chapter 11:Communication?

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 11 : Communication?**

**March, 2273**

They headed slowly toward the cloud. Decker made some comment about thousands of starships not being able to generate the power that was in that cloud, and then he noticed that Spock seemed to be frozen in place. He called his name, and got no response. Kirk swiveled around and moved to the pit railing, calling Spock's name again, and this time, he turned his head, slowly. And then he swiveled his chair around and rose, not speaking at all. When he reached the railing, he stopped, and began to speak, his brows drawn together. "I sense … puzzlement. We have been contacted. Why have we not replied?"

Uhura turned her head over her shoulder, watching, knowing that she had been sending continuous hails, and friendship messages, which had not been answered at all. Before she could make a comment the red alert sounded. Everyone jumped for their chairs, and the restraints automatically fell into place. Kirk began issuing orders, for shields and deflectors. And there, on the viewscreen, was something coming at them, glowing blue-white. Whatever it was, none of them had ever seen anything like it before.

Spock gave an analysis of the beam headed their way - plasma energy of unknown power, and not much else known about it either. This was something so far from what they were used to that they didn't even have words for it.

They braced for impact, and the ship was enveloped in blue lightning. In Engineering and on the bridge, energy struck out from consoles. Chekov screamed, one hand burned, his uniform cuff smoking. Decker and Ilia ran to assist him as he fell to the floor, and medics were soon there to assist.

Scotty's report from Engineering was sobering. Kirk gave the order to divert auxiliary power to the deflectors. It was then that Spock stated that he had found the contact from the intruder - at such a high rate of speed and frequency that no human would ever have thought to look for it there. He was reprogramming his station to broadcast in lingua-code at that speed and frequency. Even for Spock, such reprogramming took a measurable amount of time. Time which they were very short on, as another of those blue beams headed in their direction. Kirk goaded and prodded, but Spock continued to work, undisturbed, until he finished, and transmitted the message, and the beam died, finally, only a short distance away.

The bridge was quiet. People sagged in relief. They continued on their forward journey, almost to the cloud boundary now. Their messages of friendship had obviously been received. Kirk rose from his chair and moved toward the science station, where Spock was still seated, Decker leaning over him. There followed a short discussion, as they tried to make sense of what had happened. And Spock gravely stated that he sensed no emotion from whatever intelligence there was there, only pure logic.

Although Decker insisted that entering the cloud at this time, with so little knowledge of what it was, was an unwarranted risk, Kirk insisted that the thing was only twenty hours from Earth. Kirk looked from his exec to his science officer, but turned at last, knowing that the decision ultimately was his own. He returned to his seat, and ordered 'steady as she goes'.

They proceeded into the fringes of the cloud, scattered filaments flowing blue against the black of space. Eyes kept turning to the viewscreen, mesmerized. Kirk speculated that no ship could project a field that strong. Spock came to stand by his side, saying that the pattern of fluctuations in the field was unrecognizable. And still they proceeded, slowly, through filmy layers studded with sparks of light, that went on and on, for distances too illogical to mention. And then there began to be brilliant flashes of light, half hidden behind prominences they could not distinguish. People watched, but flinched, as the lights flashed in apparent randomness. When they had passed that, and were in almost darkness again, only wisps and shimmers of violet blue around them, there was something ahead of them, a huge sphere, with a smaller sphere inside, both glowing bluely.

Eyes continued glued to the viewscreen as people paid more attention to what was outside the ship than to their consoles. McCoy exited from the turbolift, Chekov following him, and stopped at the railing, leaning forward to stare with the others at the unknown before them.

Kirk ordered Uhura to transmit a report to StarFleet, telling what little they had learned. However, she was unable to do so, reporting that any attempt to transmit outside the cloud only resulted in the message being reflected back. The sphere within a sphere continued to grow closer.

Kirk ordered Sulu to circle the object at a height of 500 meters, and then to retreat to 100 kilometers, keeping a constant distance from the object. Behind them, Decker looked at McCoy, and McCoy seemed as though he might speak, but then he closed his mouth, and turned and left the bridge. No one else spoke, the bridge so quiet that they could hear their hearts beating.

They passed over the surface of the object, attempting to make sense of what they saw, but there were few references to aid them in interpreting what they saw. And then there was an intense beam of energy and light, that penetrated the bridge, accompanied by an intense sound. It moved across the bridge, sending out lashes of energy toward the consoles. Spock said it was an energy plasma probe. Kirk ordered everyone not to interfere. When it reached the main library computer interface, Decker tried to shut down the console, but could not, saying that it had taken control. Spock stepped forward, clasping his hands and raising them high, then bringing them down forcefully, breaking the console. More of the bright blue-white lashes of energy sprang from the beam and flung him across the bridge, returning twice to deal him more punishment, leaving him face down on the floor, gasping. The small lashes landed on Ilia, and returned to her again, and again, and enveloped her, and she was gone, and the energy beam as well.


	12. Chapter 12:Stolen

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 12 : Stolen**

**March, 2273**

She was gone, vanished. The device she had been used lay on the deck, but she was not there. Kirk bent, and retrieved the device, and stood there looking at it, stunned. This was not anything that might have been anticipated. He had no idea how she had been taken, nor how they might retrieve her. And Decker was livid.

Decker and Spock moved to a console which was in working order, and began to activate the computer interface at that location. And then the red alert sounded. Kirk started up from his chair, wondering what could possibly be wrong now. And Spock's flat voice informed him that they had been seized by a tractor beam of some sort. He ordered a replacement navigator and told engineering to lay on power and break free of the tractor beam. Scotty informed him that they had only a few seconds to break free, or the engines would seize up, and Spock broke in to tell him that they had only a small fraction of the power necessary to break free. Immediately, although reluctantly, he canceled the order, ordering all main drive systems to be disengaged. They must not destroy their engines, for who knew what might happen next.

The ship moved along, faster now than when they had been under their own power. And they had no control over the direction in which they went, or what they would encounter when they arrived wherever it was that they were being dragged. Uhura readied a communications drone, containing all the ship's records, but Decker warned her to wait as long as possible before launching it, for it would not be able to escape as long as they were held by the tractor beam. McCoy wandered onto the bridge and looked about at all the activity, and kept silent, not sure that whatever he said might not interfere with something that needed doing.

Decker bent over the bridge pit railing and suggested that a maximum power phaser beam right into the center of the beam might weaken it enough for them to break free. As Kirk was considering that, Spock voiced a question in his harsh, flat voice. "Break free to where, Commander?" He clasped his hands together, his fingers interwoven, the look on his face stern. "A show of resistance would be futile."

Kirk and McCoy both looked at Spock in astonishment. This was totally unlike the Spock that they were familiar with. To just give up without trying anything? This from the man who had always found one more thing to try, one more explanation for the unknown, one more search in the computer for something, anything which would aid them? This made no sense, none at all. They looked at each other, worry clear on their faces, but neither said anything. After a short time, McCoy turned and left the bridge, never having said a word.

Decker rose, and stood behind Kirk, wondering aloud why they had been brought inside. Not to destroy them, surely, for they could have done that while they were still outside. Spock stood beside him, and replied that they still could. And then he added, "Curiosity, Commander, insatiable curiosity." The two men stood there, side by side, watching the viewscreen over the top of Kirk's head.

It was then that Uhura's alarmed voice broke into the quiet, announcing that sonar readings had informed her that the aperture through which they had entered was closing. Sulu put the rear-view on the main screen and all watched as the aperture slowly closed. They were trapped, inside, and the communications drone had not been sent and now could not get out.

Spock confirmed that the tractor beam had released them. Kirk rose and stood, looking out, frowning. What was the best course of action now? He ordered maneuvering thrusters, but at only one-third power. They would go slowly, and not take unnecessary chances. And now, surely it was safe to do a scan, and so he ordered Spock to proceed.

It was then that the aperture in front of them closed. Kirk ordered a full stop. Spock reported that all scans were being reflected back, that sensors were useless. Now what? He asked Spock for his opinion, and he was in the middle of it, when he froze again, like he had once before. The red alert sounded, and there was an intruder alert on deck five. Quickly Kirk headed in that direction, ordering Spock to accompany him, and leaving Decker in charge of the bridge.


	13. Chapter 13:CarbonBased Units

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 13 : Carbon-Based Units**

**March, 2273**

Kirk reached the quarters where the intruder had been located, Spock and a security guard right behind him. There was someone in the shower. He went to the panic buttons set into the wall near the bunk, and pressed the button that would bring McCoy or one of his staff running here on the double. And then they could see, through the sonic curtain, the shape of Ilia. Only this Ilia had a glowing object of some sort at the base of her neck, and her voice, when she spoke, echoed strangely. She informed them that she had been programmed by V'ger to observe the carbon-based units which infested the USS Enterprise.

McCoy entered just as whatever it was that looked like Ilia exited from the shower, wrapped in a short white robe, demanding to know what was going on. Kirk pointed to the figure in the white robe and said only one word. "Tricorder."

While McCoy checked her out, Kirk tried to obtain information, but the answers he got did not help at all. To the question "Who is V'ger?" he got the nonsense "V'ger is that which programmed me." There was no information or help at all in that answer.

McCoy spoke, a tone almost of delight in his voice. "Jim, this is a mechanism!"

Spock added "A probe, captain."

Kirk looked at them, puzzled. And when Spock observed that she was no doubt recording everything they said and did, he was concerned. Who was it that was observing them, and what did that being intend? His question about the real Ilia yielded an answer he did not really want to hear. And Decker would be more than pissed at him now.

The security guard queried what 'carbon-based units' were, confused. And McCoy answered him. "Humans, ensign Perez. Us."

The next piece of information they obtained was just as mysterious. They still had no idea who or what V'ger was, and why someone or something called 'the Creator' by V'ger would be on Earth was an even greater mystery. Kirk's face was furrowed, and neither McCoy or Spock could give him any idea what these answers meant.

The so-called exchange of knowledge continued in circles. V'ger was that which sought the creator. The creator had created V'ger. V'ger would 'join' with the creator and become one. None of this made any sense at all. Even Spock was having difficulties in forming questions which were helpful. But he did come up with the idea of examining the probe, in the hopes of determining something about those who had manufactured it. But she would not go with McCoy until Kirk assured her that the examination was a normal function of the carbon-based units.

They had her on the scanning bed in sick bay, examining her, when Decker walked in. He stood quietly near her head, just looking at her. She turned her head, focused on him, and spoke his name hesitantly.

Spock spoke immediately. "Fascinating. Not Decker-unit."

Kirk turned his head, looking at Spock. And Spock just looked back at him. Perhaps there was something there that they could use. Decker was still staring at the probe that appeared to be Ilia, not speaking. Kirk stepped over to him, and took his arm, and lead him out, following Spock. They went into an observation chamber, and Spock sealed the door, so that they would not be disturbed. Decker wanted to know what had happened to Ilia. Spock ignored him, speaking directly to Kirk. "This probe may be our key to dealing with the aliens."

"Probe?" There was question in Decker's voice then, and perhaps just a touch of panic.

There followed a short but intense conversation, as they explored the possibility that beneath the surface programming, the probe contained the real Ilia's memories and feelings. Decker was as volatile as Kirk had feared he would be. But none of the three expected what happened next. The probe punched through the bulkhead as though it were made of paper, and walked into the small observation room where they stood.

When the probe demanded that Kirk let her perform her programmed function of observation, he quietly told her that Decker could assist her more efficiently, and then told Decker to carry out his assignment. Decker looked at him, mockingly, and agreed, following the probe out the door and into the corridor, with only one more backwards look at the two officers standing there.

"I am concerned with that being our only source of information, Captain."

Kirk looked at Spock. Had his voice seemed slightly more normal? It was hard to be sure. There was still no visible expression on his face. He was not happy with the state of things, either, but he did not know what else they could do. And they had only a few hours left to do it in.


	14. Chapter 14:Sensor

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 14 : Sensor**

**March, 2273**

Bones and Jim sat in the captain's quarters, watching Decker interact with the probe disguised as Ilia. He did not seem to be making much headway in activating the memories of the real Ilia, buried within the probe. And then they heard something that made their blood run cold. When the probe understood the function of the carbon units, all carbon units would be 'reduced' to 'patterns for data storage'. Somehow they had to figure out how to prevent this from happening.

In another part of the ship, Spock stood in the shadows, looking around. Silently he approached the lone technician on duty there, from behind, where the technician could not see him. He reached forward, and applied a nerve pinch to his neck, and the technician folded up, Spock lowering him easily to the deck.

Meanwhile, Decker enlisted the help of Dr Chapel in trying to bring Ilia's hidden memories to the forefront. Chapel found items in Ilia's quarters, that she knew Ilia had specific memories of, and presented them to the probe. She put one on the probe's head, and turned her to the mirror. Chapel and Decker and McCoy watched as emotion filled the eyes of the probe, and she turned and spoke, first to Chapel, and then to Decker, calling him Will. Gentle questioning revealed that V'Ger did not know who or what the Creator was, only that he must search for him, and that he had a tremendous longing to 'join' with him.

Beneath the Enterprise, hanging in space, Spock wore a powered suit that he had stolen from the room where he had overpowered the technician. He began a recorded message, one that would be sent to Kirk, telling him what he was doing. He carefully calculated thrust and duration of power so that he would pass through the aperture when it pulsed open. He was calm, focused, intent on what he was doing. It never occurred to him that this might not be the best approach.

When Kirk entered the bridge, he was immediately stopped by Uhura, who notified him that signals from StarFleet Command were now stronger. Sulu joined her, stating that the Intruder had been verified to assume an orbit around Earth. And then Chekov interrupted, his face furrowed. "Sir, airlock 4 has been opened. A thruster suit has been reported missing."

Immediately he knew that it must be Spock, and swore aloud, startling the officers on the bridge. His first thought was to forcibly return him to the ship, but then he had another thought and ordered Chekov to get a fix on his position.

The thruster controls programmed to his specifications, when the aperture was at the correct point in its cycle, Spock pressed the ignite button and the thrusters fired, propelling him through the aperture just as it closed. When the thrusters finished their burn, he released the mechanism, continuing to move forward, propelled by the impetus of the thrusters. He continued to record, giving a description of everything that passed beneath and around him. He still was not able to form any theory about who or what they were dealing with. His brows were furrowed in concentration as he tried to understand what he was seeing.

At some point, something suddenly became clear to him. _This_ was V'ger. This entire construct, as immense as it was, was a living machine, and that machine was what had captured them. Eventually he passed over a representation of Ilia, with the sensor at the base of her throat pulsing and flashing, almost like lightning strikes. He concluded that the sensor must contain some special meaning. Perhaps if he could mind-meld with it, he could discover that meaning, perhaps even communicate with V'Ger. With that thought in mind, he spoke his intentions for the recording, and held out his hands, altering his course so that he proceeded directly into the center of the sensor. When he contacted it, there was pain, and there were many images, changing too fast to process. He cried out, consumed with pain, and overloaded sensory channels, and flailed about, descending into unconsciousness and drifting away from his intended target. His last thought was that perhaps he had made an error.


	15. Chapter 15:Recovery

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 15 : Recovery**

**March, 2273**

Jim Kirk waited, in another thruster suit, as Spock's body tumbled in his direction. Matching his velocity and direction carefully, he reached out his arms and caught his friend's body with only minimal impact. His friend's eyes were closed, and he did not react to the calling of his name at all. It was imperative to get him inside the ship and to sick bay, as quickly as possible. There was absolutely no telling what had happened to him.

Once they had him inside, they found the recording he had made, and Kirk and McCoy listened to it. The sounds that came from Spock's mouth at the end were chilling. McCoy immediately began a neurological assay.

Spock lay on the biobed, unmoving, his face totally still. At least his eyes were open now. Chapel moved forward, and ran a small scanning device over him. There were indications of neurological trauma. As Kirk and McCoy watched the scanner readout, Spock made a small sound, and instantly they crossed the room to stand beside the biobed where he lay. Kirk leaned over and spoke his name, and a small smile appeared on Spock's face and he called him Jim for the first time since he had returned to the Enterprise. Some of the distress left Kirk then, for surely this meant that Spock was recovering.

Spock confirmed that V'Ger was indeed a living machine, from a planet of living machines, which contained great knowledge and unbelievable technology. But its intellect was cold and barren, utterly devoid of any appreciation of beauty at all. He added one more statement. "I should have known." And then his eyes closed again, in the middle of a word.

Kirk looked at him in concern, his brow furrowed. He bent over, clasping his friend by the shoulders. He shook him lightly, trying to bring him back to consciousness. "What should you have known?" This might be very important for the survival of the ship. He had to know what Spock was thinking.

Spock opened his eyes again, and slid them sideways, looking at Kirk without moving his body. And then he lifted one hand, and grasped Kirk's arm, and called him Jim again, while McCoy and Chapel waited, anxious about his condition. Kirk slowly straightened up, and his arm slid through Spock's hand, until their hands were clasped tightly together. And then Spock spoke again, in a quiet voice, not nearly as harsh and flat as it had been only hours before. "This." He squeezed Kirk's hand, and shook it slightly. "This. Simple feeling. This is beyond V'Ger's comprehension."

Kirk laid his other hand over the two clasped together, and smiled slightly, nodding his head. His friend was back. Back from wherever he had hidden himself.

Spock spoke again, still laying there, most of his body immobile, but his face was more animated now, expressive as it had not been all the long day that they had struggled to understand what this intruder was. He nodded his head slightly before he spoke. "No meaning. No hope. JIM! No answers. It's asking questions. Is this all that I am? Is there nothing more?"

They stood there, the three of them, trying to absorb what Spock had said, but their thoughts were interrupted by a hail from the bridge. Uhura was asking for the captain. Kirk released Spock's hand, and crossed to a console, and responded. The intruder cloud had been detected from Earth and was dissipating rapidly as it approached. Sulu added that StarFleet reported that the cloud's velocity had slowed to subwarp speed. "We are three minutes from Earth orbit."

Kirk responded that he would be right there. He turned to find McCoy and Chapel watching him. "I need Spock on the bridge."

There were no objections from anyone. Chapel called to the orderly to bring her a stimulant that worked on Vulcans. Spock just lay there, not saying anything.


	16. Chapter 16:Information

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 16 : Information**

**March, 2273**

Uhura turned slightly from her workstation and called for the captain's attention, pointing out the display now on the main viewscreen. StarFleet had sent them information on V'Ger's position, and also the fact that it was sending out a signal. Kirk and Spock and McCoy all watched, not quiet sure how to react. Why was V'Ger sending a signal and to whom?

Decker entered the bridge with the Ilia probe, who looked at the display and listened to the sound being produced, and stated that V'Ger was signaling the Creator. But who or what was the Creator and why was it expected to be found on Earth? None of this made any sense.

Kirk turned to Spock, to see what he could make of the signal. The answer came in a voice definitely not as flat and harsh as that used a few hours ago. At least that progress had not been lost. But the answer he got was astonishing. Radio? A simple binary signal? Why?

Decker told Kirk that V'Ger expected an answer. Kirk looked at him, a frown on his face. "But I don't even know the question."

The Ilia probe spoke again. "The Creator has not responded."

And Chekov looked at the displays on his control panel and started, announcing in a panicked voice that the whole planetary defense system had just shut down. The people on the bridge looked at one another, uncertain what would happen next. There was dread in their faces, for the most part.

V'Ger began to fire bursts of green light at Earth, which spaced themselves about, equidistant across the polar cap. They flashed in unison. Uhura gave a quick report from StarFleet, and McCoy stepped forward, alarmed, thinking they were the same energy bolts as had attacked the Enterprise. Spock calmly corrected him, his voice closer to what it had been earlier, telling them that these devices were far more powerful than the ones they had seen in action, and that from the positions they were taking could devastate the entire planet.

Kirk stepped toward the Ilia probe and asked why V'Ger was acting this way. The reply stunned him. The carbon-based units would be removed from the entire Earth? Because V'Ger had decided they were interfering with the Creator's ability to respond to it? The people of Earth were an infestation?

He tried to explain. "Carbon units are not an infestation. They are a natural function of the Creator's planet. They are living things."

"They are not true lifeforms. Only the Creator and other similar lifeforms are true."

Behind him, McCoy spoke. "Jim, V'Ger is saying it's creator is a machine."

There was silence then, as Kirk struggled to find something, anything that he could say, any fact he could argue with. Others on the bridge were obviously as stunned as he was, and no one offered anything until Spock spoke again. He rose from his seat, and Kirk and Decker and McCoy closed in to listen to what he had to say. "V'Ger is a child."

There were stunned looks from the other men at that statement. And the next proved even more astonishing. "I suggest you treat it as such."

Kirk looked at him, not sure that he understood. "A child?"

"Yes, captain, a child. Evolving, learning, searching. Instinctively needing."

Decker leaned forward. "Needing what?"

McCoy interrupted before Decker could continue, his voice as acerbic as normal. "Spock! This child is about to wipe out every living thing on Earth! Just what is it that you suggest we do? Spank it?"

Spock looked at him, and drew back into himself just the slightest bit, and then turned his face away, back to Decker. "It knows only that it needs, Commander." And then he turned back to Kirk, and spoke again. "But like so many of us, it does not know what."

Kirk got a far-away look in his eyes, and turned back to look at the Ilia probe again, his lips pursed. He bent down, his hands braced on the railing around the bridge pit, and took a couple of deep breaths, calming himself. And then he straightened up and spoke, loudly and clearly. "The carbon-units know why the Creator has not responded."

Decker walked around to where he could see Kirk's face, astonished, his eyes wide. And the Ilia probe spoke. "Disclose the information."

"Not until V'Ger withdraws the devices orbiting the third planet."

Uhura interrupted, agitated. "Captain, I'm losing StarFleet. Interference from V'Ger."

The probe spoke again. "Kirk unit, disclose the information. Why has the Creator not responded?"

Kirk stood his ground and uttered only one word. "No." And then he looked about and began to issue orders. "Secure all stations. Clear the bridge."

There was a noise, as of loud static, and something jolted the Enterprise, making people clutch at railings and consoles to brace themselves. And Sulu turned to Kirk, not certain that he had heard correctly. "Clear the bridge, captain?"

"That was the order, Mr Sulu, clear the bridge."

But before anyone could move, the ship was enveloped in blue lightnings, and shook again, making everyone grab whatever was closest. McCoy looked up. "The child is having a tantrum, Mr Spock."

Spock did not disagree with him, but turned and did something at his console. The ship shook again, to a sound like shaken metal, as people began to enter the turbolifts on either side of the bridge. And the probe spoke once more. "V'Ger requires the information."

Again Kirk issued orders. "Secure all stations. Move out."

Behind him McCoy flared in anger. "Jim! What the hell kind of strategy is this?" Uhura moved past him into the turbolift, with Sulu and the navigator DeFalco right behind her. Only McCoy and Decker and Spock made no effort to enter the fast filling cars.

The Enterprise shook again, the blue lightnings playing over its hull. Kirk spoke directly to the probe. "If V'Ger destroys the Enterprise, the information that V'Ger needs will also be destroyed."

The doors to the turbolift on the far side of the bridge closed, and Kirk motioned and the remaining four officers proceeded to the other lift, moving in. Behind them the probe spoke again, a note of desperation beginning to creep into its voice. "It is illogical to withhold information." When they did not stop their forward motion, it called out again. "Kirk unit. Kirk unit."

The stopped, right at the entrance to the turbolift, and turned to look in that direction. "Kirk unit, why do you not disclose information?"

Kirk took two steps back in the direction of the probe and spoke with great intensity. "Because V'Ger is going to destroy all the carbon units on the third planet."

"They have suppressed the Creator."

"The information will not be disclosed." He spoke with great finality, and turned back toward the turbolift.

"V'Ger needs the information."

Kirk turned toward the probe again, and took a step back in that direction. "Then V'Ger must withdraw all the orbiting devices."

"V'Ger will comply, if the carbon units will disclose the information."

Kirk turned, and walked back to where his officers stood, not sure what to do now. McCoy glared at him. "Learns fast, doesn't it?"

Spock stood there calmly, and reminded him that the entity that called itself V'Ger operated from a central point. Immediately Kirk realized where he was headed. "The devices would be controlled from that point, wouldn't they?"

"Precisely."

Kirk turned and walked back toward the probe. "The carbon units information cannot be disclosed to V'Ger's probe, but only to V'Ger, directly." He waited to see what impact this statement would have.

The probe was quiet, and turned slowly to face the viewscreen, standing there still for several minutes. And then they were moving again, forward, pulled by a tractor beam.


	17. Chapter 17:Tears

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 17 : Tears**

**March, 2273**

The Ilia probe walked down into the bridge pit and then crossed to stand in front of the main viewscreen. She did not speak again.

Decker looked at Kirk and asked what they were going to do now. Kirk didn't really have any idea, but he ordered everyone back to stations while he tried to decide what options they had. He asked Chekov how long they had before those devices reached their final positions, and Chekov replied that they had twenty-seven minutes. Not long to figure out how to save everyone on Earth.

Kirk walked about the bridge pit, thinking, while Decker leaned on the railing and watched him. And then the captain leaned forward and pressed one of the buttons on the arm of the command chair, and called Engineering.

"Scott here."

"Mr Scott, be prepared to execute StarFleet order 2005." McCoy stared at him in consternation, and Uhura's face turned in his direction, not certain that she had heard what she thought she had.

"When, sir?" The Chief Engineer's voice was calm and firm.

"On my command."

"Aye, sir."

One of Scotty's junior officers stepped over to him, questioning why the captain would order self-destruct. "Because, lass, in my opinion, he thinks, hopes, that when we go up, we'll take the intruder with us."

"Will we?"

"When that much matter and antimatter are brought together, oh yes, we will indeed." There was a small smile on the Scotsman's face.

On the bridge, Chekov called out eighteen minutes until device activation. Uhura informed Kirk that StarFleet had been apprised of their situation. McCoy simply stood there, watching what was going on, saying nothing. Behind Kirk, Spock sat quietly at his station, one elbow resting on the console, his fingers idly playing with his chin as he thought.

Kirk turned his chair about. "Spock?" When there was no response, he rose and stepped up out of the pit, crossing to stand directly behind Spock. "Mr Spock."

"Hm?"

Kirk could not remember ever hearing that sort of response from Spock. What was going on in that Vulcan brain?

Spock swiveled his chair around, and looked up at Kirk, saying nothing. He tilted his head, looking now at McCoy, who had approached and was standing beside Kirk, slightly alarmed. This was most certainly not expected behavior from the Science Officer. Was that a tear on the Vulcan's face?

Kirk looked at Spock again. "Not for us?"

"No, Captain, not for us. For V'Ger." He nodded slightly, and clasped his hands together in front of him. "I weep for V'Ger as I would for a brother. As I was, when I came aboard." His voice vibrated with emotion.

Decker was beside them, now, as well. All three men were staring down at Spock, uncertain what to do next.

Spock continued. "So is V'Ger now. Empty. Incomplete. And searching. Logic and knowledge are not enough." One tear slid slowly down his cheek.

McCoy looked closely at the Vulcan, and then spoke, carefully. "Spock. Are you saying that you found what you needed? But V'Ger hasn't?"

Decker looked back to Spock, his eyes bright. "What would V'Ger need, to fulfill itself?"

"Each of us, at some time in our lives, turns to someone. A father, a brother, a God. And asks, why am I here? What was I meant to be? V'Ger hopes to touch its creator, to find its answers."

Kirk nodded his head. "Is this all that I am? Is there nothing more?"

And then they were interrupted by navigator deFalco, calling for the Captain's attention. On the viewscreen, something was happening. There were wide beams of blue light. Sulu reported that forward motion had slowed. From behind the three officers standing behind the railing, watching the viewscreen, Spock spoke. "Captain, I believe that is our destination."

Chekov looked at his instruments, startled, and reported an oxygen/gravity envelope forming outside the Enterprise. And Sulu reported that forward motion had stopped. The probe lifted her arm and pointed at the center of the viewscreen. "V'Ger."

Uhura broke in then, informing them that she had found the source of V'Ger's radio signals, directly ahead. Spock rose, and stood beside Decker, his hands clasped behind his back in his familiar stance, watching the viewscreen with the rest of the bridge crew. "That transmitter is a vital link between V'Ger and its creator."

The probe turned to face the standing officers. "The carbon units will now provide V'Ger with the required information." And then it turned, and headed for the turbolift.

Kirk turned to follow her, calling out to McCoy and Spock to join him. He told Decker that he would contact him every five minutes. But Decker wanted to go along. Kirk stood there a moment, watching and thinking, and then turned the comm over to Sulu. The four of them followed the probe into the turbolift, and the doors shut.

To the side, Uhura sat at her station and watched them. When the doors closed, she turned back to face the viewscreen, an expression of concern on her face. She sat there and thought about all the things that she had heard Spock say, and the emotion she had heard in his voice, and the tears she had seen on his face. Something had changed within him. Something deep and strong. He must come back, so that she could talk to him about what he was feeling, and why. She needed to know. She needed it desperately.


	18. Chapter 18:V'Ger

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 18 : V'Ger**

**March, 2273**

The five stood on the hull of the Enterprise, watching the blue lightning flashes. From the air all about them, small spots of blue light flew toward the Enterprise, and turned into hexagonal stones, which attached themselves to each other, forming a bridge that lead to something. The probe pointed. "V'Ger."

They began to climb down a steep slope, composed of some sort of slabs of components, almost like electronics of some sort. The probe proceeded them, standing beside something that looked vaguely familiar. Spock held a tricorder in his hand, taking readings. The construct that the probe stood beside looked old, and beaten up. Blue lights slid through the slabs that made up the slope they descended. After a short while, all five stood next to the construct. Kirk walked closer, seeing something on the side, and began to rub his fingers against the corrosion on the plaque embedded there. He found a "V" and a little further along, "GER". He looked, stunned. "V'Ger."

And then he began to rub at the corrosion again, and found the whole name "Voyager VI". And Decker saw something else. "NASA. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Jim! This was launched more than three hundred years ago."

Kirk walked around the construct, looking at it, while Spock and Decker did the same, at different points. "Voyager series, designed to collect data and transmit it back to Earth."

Decker spoke again. "Captain, Voyager VI disappeared into what they used to call a black hole."

Kirk speculated that it had emerged near the machine planet and fallen into its gravitational pull. Spock added that the inhabitants of the machine world would have thought it one of their own kind, but primitive. They would have discovered its simple programing - collect all data possible, learn all that is learnable, return that information to its creator. Spock speculated that the inhabitants of the machine planet had built this larger construct to assist the smaller one in completing its mission, to return to its creator with the knowledge it had amassed. And Kirk then realized that it had amassed so much knowledge, that somehow it had achieved consciousness, and become a living thing.

The probe spoke then. "Kirk unit. V'Ger awaits the information."

Kirk raised his wrist, and spoke into his communicator. "Enterprise. Order up the library computer records on the late 21st century probe Voyager VI."

On the bridge, Uhura listened to her instructions with confusion. Do what?

Kirk continued. "We want the old NASA com signal that commands the probe to transmit its data. And fast."

Sulu was hanging over Uhura's shoulder, listening as well. "Aye, Captain." And they both got busy, trying to find the required data.

Decker turned to Kirk, eyes alight. "That's what it's been signaling. Its readiness to transmit its data."

Kirk nodded. "And there's no one on Earth capable of sending a response."

McCoy repeated what the probe had said on the bridge. "The Creator does not answer."

There were more lightning flashes, and deep, deep sounds. Kirk moved, out toward the edge of the small platform they stood on. He called V'Ger's name several times, and finally, lifting his hands up, he made a declaration. "We are the Creator."

The probe immediately responded. "That is not logical. Carbon units are not true life forms."

"We'll prove it. We'll make it possible for you to complete your programming. Only the Creator could accomplish that."

Kirk's communicator chimed at him, and Uhura's voice came through. "We have just received the response code, Captain."

"Set the Enterprise transmitter on the appropriate frequency and transmit the code now!"

"Transmitting."

When the entire sequence of numbers had been transmitted, there were flashes of light, and strange sounds, all around them. Spock was still taking readings with his tricorder. At least that much seemed normal. And then he turned toward Kirk. "Voyager is not transmitting its data, Captain." and he went to the construct and began to attempt to remove the outside panels.

The Ilia probe spoke. "The Creator must join with V'Ger."

Kirk spoke into his communicator, telling Uhura to repeat the final sequence. There were more flashes of light, and more strange sounds. And again the probe stated that the Creator must join with V'Ger. She looked in Decker's direction, with an expression of pain on her face, and he stared back at her.

Spock finally got the outer panel off, and told Kirk that it had not transmitted its data because it had not received the final sequence. And he pointed to a frayed connection, hanging loose. Kirk pointed. "The antenna leads are melted away!"

Spock caught his hand, before he could touch anything. "Yes, Captain, just now. By V'Ger itself."

"Why?"

"To prevent reception."

Kirk stared at Spock, hardly believing what he was hearing. Behind them, Decker spoke. "Of course. To bring the Creator _here_. To finish transmitting the code in person. To touch the Creator."

"Capture God?" McCoy was his normal caustic self. "V'Ger's liable to be in for one hell of a disappointment."

Spock looked at him. "Perhaps not doctor."

Kirk turned from McCoy to Spock, wondering what he meant. And there were many more flashes of light, from all the various panels of components that made up the slope they had come down, and there were sounds, more ominous seeming now. The entire area seemed bathed in blood-red light. Spock motioned and lead them away from the ancient construct they had been standing beside and from the probe. When the four officers were grouped together, he spoke again. "V'Ger must evolve. Its knowledge has reached the limits of this universe and it must evolve. What it requires from its God, doctor, is the answer to its question 'Is there nothing more?'."

McCoy looked at Spock, not understanding. "What more is there, other than the universe, Spock?"

And Decker had the answer. "Other dimensions. Higher levels of being."

Spock added, "The existence of which cannot be proven logically. Therefore, V'Ger is incapable of believing in them."

Now Kirk spoke. "What V'Ger needs in order to evolve is a human quality. Our capacity to leap beyond logic."

Decker looked back at the Ilia probe, and then turned back to the other officers. "And joining with its Creator might accomplish that."

McCoy was rattled. "You mean this machine wants to physically join with a human? Is that possible?"

Decker looked back at the probe once more. "Let's find out." And he started off in that direction.


	19. Chapter 19:To Join with the Creator

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 19 : To Join with the Creator**

**March, 2273**

Decker turned and walked toward the Ilia probe and the ancient construct on the small platform in the center of the pit they stood in. He went to the open panel, Kirk right behind him. But the probe reached out, and one of those blue lightning flashes went from her hand to Kirk, knocking him flat. McCoy and Spock helped him to his feet while Decker stood, his hands on the bottom edge of the opening on the side on the Voyager construct, and the probe watching everything that he did.

There were many more flashes of blue light around them as Decker took the frayed ends of the cable and brought them together, Kirk calling to him as he did.

"I'm going to key the final sequence through the ground-test computer."

McCoy yelled at him then. "Decker, you don't know what that'll do to you!"

"Yes, I do, Doctor!" And he looked at the probe, who was still staring at him with Ilia's eyes. He finished splicing the wires back together, and found the keypad and keyed in the numbers.

"Decker, don't!" Kirk lunged forward, but was restrained by McCoy and Spock.

He turned to look at the other men. "Yes. I want this. As much as you wanted the Enterprise, I want THIS."

The red light continued to shine about them, and there were more of those blue flashes, but the ominous sounding noises were gone. Decker stood there, looking at the probe, and Ilia looked back at him, shining forth from those eyes that were and were not hers. And then something began to happen. All around him, tiny points of bright white light appeared. The three other men stood and watched, not at all sure what was happening.

And then he was covered with the white lights, and from somewhere there was a wind, that blew his hair, and the lights swarmed about him, and Ilia approached him, standing so close. And then the lights coalesced, and completely hid them from view. McCoy turned and started up the steep slope towards the Enterprise, and Spock reached out, and tugged at Kirk before following after McCoy. Kirk followed, realizing that something unknown was about to happen.

The men hurried up the slope of components, while behind them the points of bright white light expanded to include the Voyager construct, and then the entire small platform upon which it stood. By the time they got to the top of the slope, the entire bottom of that pit was full of tall streamers of intense white light. And the noise was deafening. They hurried back across the bridge of hexagonal stones toward the Enterprise as flashes and blooms of brilliant light filled the area behind them. By the time they reached the hull, there was a tall column, made up of those brilliant spots of light, reaching far above them.

The column expanded into a globe, and then spread wide, into a glowing sheet of light, streaming in every direction, before pulling back into a point. And when it died away completely, the Enterprise hung in orbit over Earth, all alone. They had made it back inside just in time.

They exited the turbolift onto the bridge, Kirk's jacket slung over his arm while the other two still had theirs on, and people turned to see them, and some rose from their seats. Uhura was one of those, leaning forward against the railing to watch them exit from the turbolift, her eyes searching for injury. She took two steps toward them, stopping only when Kirk began to speak.

"Did we just witness the birth of a new lifeform?"

"Yes, Captain. We witnessed a birth. Possibly a next step in our evolution." Spock spoke calmly, but without that deadly flat harshness that he had had.

McCoy grinned. "Well, it's been a long time since I delivered a baby. I hope we got this one off to a good start." Spock looked at him, his eyebrows raised.

Kirk expounded on what they might have given the new lifeform, but then McCoy spoke, adding something far less serious. "And a lot of foolish Human emotions, right Mr Spock?"

Spock's face most definitely showed emotion now, his eyebrows raising, his head nodding. "Quite true, doctor. Unfortunately, it will have to deal with them as well." There was almost a smile on his face, if you knew how to look. And then he turned his head, as he heard Uhura's voice.

"Captain, we have a communication from StarFleet. They're requesting damage and injury reports and complete vessel status." She stood there, looking straight, not at the captain, but at Spock.

Kirk told her to report two casualties, and then changed his mind, and told her to report them as missing.

"Aye, sir."

"Vessel status fully operational."

"Aye, sir."

During all this interchange, Spock and McCoy had stood in almost exactly the same posture, bodies straight, hands behind their backs, still wearing the heavy jackets they had donned before leaving the ship. And now the turbolift doors on the other side of the bridge opened, and Dr Chapel and Commander Scott entered the bridge.

Kirk assumed the command chair while he spoke to Scotty. "Mr Scott, shall we give the Enterprise a proper shakedown?"

"I would say it's time for that, aye, sir." There was a smile on the Scotsman's face, and his eyes gleamed in anticipation. Then he turned to Spock, where he stood behind the captain. "We can have you back on Vulcan in four days, Mr Spock."

"Unnecessary, Mr Scott. My task on Vulcan is completed."

McCoy watched Spock carefully as he made this statement, and then turned his face toward the main viewscreen, calm and competent as he remembered him.

Kirk gave Sulu the command 'Warp One', and then deFalco asked for the heading. Kirk focused on the main viewscreen, his face a study in concentration. He waved his hand forward. "Out there. Thataway." And then he sat back, and smiled.

Behind him stood his two closest friends, and he was surrounded by competent officers, most of whom had served with him for years. He was back where he belonged, on the bridge of the Enterprise, and his world was content.

McCoy stood, pondering. He still wanted to know what had been going through that Vulcan's thick head. Somehow, he needed to get him to talk. It would take some doing, but it needed to be done.

Spock stood, almost at attention. He may have appeared calm, but he was far from it. Questions that had plagued him for years had been answered, and the answers were not what he had expected. It would take much meditation, much careful thought, to know where and how to proceed from this moment. And off to his left sat the one his thoughts centered about. She would require even more thought, even more care. Somehow he must make atonement. He did not know how he would do that, only that he must.

Uhura sat at her station, communicating with StarFleet Command, but her brain was full of other things. He looked so different now than he had when he came aboard. And sounded so much more like himself. What would happen next? Would he continue to avoid her? Or would he treat her as a professional coworker and pretend nothing had ever been between them? Or would he somehow attempt to explain what had happened? There was no way she could know. She would have to live each day as it came, and try not to anticipate, not to expect any particular action. Only time would tell what would happen between them now.


	20. Chapter 20:McCoy Talks

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 20 : McCoy Talks**

**April, 2273**

McCoy wandered into the rec room just as Kirk and Spock sat down at the chess board. Gleefully rubbing his hands together, he sat down to kibbutz. Unbeknownst to any of the three men, just around the corner, out of sight behind a tall potted plant, sat the communications officer, deep in thought. She did not realize that they were there, either.

This was the first time the two men had played chess together in almost three years. It felt slightly strange, and yet very familiar. Spock indicated that Kirk should move first, and as usual, the captain took very little time in making that first move. He had no sooner lifted his hand from the board than Spock made his move, and McCoy cackled at the rueful look on Kirk's face.

Kirk began to study the board, trying to decide his next move, and McCoy took advantage of the lull to present his first question to Spock. "Whatever made you decide to study kolinahr, anyway, Spock? Did us illogical humans finally get to be too much for you?"

He thought for a moment that Spock would not answer, but then the Vulcan drew in a deep breath, and spoke. "I suffered a great emotional shock, doctor, and did not know how to handle it. Gol seemed to be the only viable alternative at the time. I know now that it was not the correct answer."

The doctor knew better than to question what that shock had been, and besides, he had a pretty good idea of what the Vulcan was referring to, having dealt with the other half of that problem himself. Kirk raised his head from his observance of the chess board though, and looked questioningly at Spock. "I wasn't aware that Vulcans actually HAD emotions, Spock."

"I have endeavored to explain to you on multiple occasions, captain, that Vulcans do indeed have emotions, but simply work very diligently to control them, so that they do not control us."

"So for something to completely unhinge you like that, it had to have been pretty big." Kirk was carefully considering the other man as he spoke.

"This is true. I believe you are out of time, Jim, and need to make your move." His attempt to change the direction of the conversation was very transparent.

Kirk looked down at the board, and made a move, purely at random. Spock pursed his lips, and shook his head slightly. "That was not an optimal move, Jim." He reached out one hand, and made his own move, hardly seeming to pay any attention to where the captain's pieces were on the board.

McCoy had listened carefully to everything that had been said, and noticed things that had not been said, as well. He knew that poking at the cause of that big emotional breakdown, here in a public place, with witnesses, was not the thing to do, but maybe, just maybe, he could say some things to make the man start thinking on his own. "Why did you decide to resign your commission? Couldn't you have continued to serve after completing the kolinahr training?"

Spock seemed to consider this question carefully. "I suppose that I could have, however, at the time I was in no condition to consider this. I did not have any idea how long it might be before I regained any sort of equilibrium, where I would be able to resume my duties. As it was, it was 2.8 years that I was away from StarFleet. It could have been much longer. It was only the pull of the intruder's presence that persuaded me that it was necessary to return."

Jim looked up. "So it wasn't any of us that influenced your return? It was that artificial intelligence?"

"There was great danger posed by the intruder. It would have affected many people, including those I had served with for many years. This was a factor in my decision. I also had the thought that this intelligence might hold the answers I was searching for."

McCoy jumped in now. "But you said it didn't."

"No, it did not. However, that lack of answers did help me. The knowledge that such a superior intelligence, composed of pure logic, had many of the same questions that I did, and needed the answers just as desperately, forced me to reconsider the direction I had been pursuing. I was then able to change the focus of my research and discover what I had been looking for in an entirely different area." He looked down to the board again. "Jim, it is time for you to move once more. You do not seem to be focused on the game."

Jim looked at Spock, and swore lightly. "You keep distracting me with these revelations you're making. But please don't stop." He picked a piece and moved it, only realizing when he had removed his hand that Spock was shaking his head, his mouth compressed in a tight line. He sighed. He had done it again. He was not at all surprised when Spock's next move put his king in check.

McCoy tried once more to elicit information from Spock. "I know you say that the training you received as a child taught you to control your emotions, but it seemed more to those of us who tried to befriend you that you often tried to completely suppress your emotions. Is that what they taught you at Gol?"

Spock looked at McCoy, and then his eyes unfocused slightly, and he shook his head lightly, before looking back to McCoy and beginning to speak. "I believe at this point that my father felt that forcing me to be the most Vulcan of Vulcans would remove some of the stigma of my hybrid birth. This was an unfortunate decision on his part, because although I have Vulcan emotional depth, I have only human control over them. What he wished for me was simply not possible. Instead of being able to control my emotions, I was forced to suppress them in order to be able to handle them. What they attempted to teach me in Gol was to ignore them entirely, as though they did not even exist. They discovered that this was not an easy task. It was one which I finally concluded was entirely impossible."

Both of the other men looked at him, fascinated. They had gotten more insight into how Spock worked then they had ever received from him in the past. And around the corner, the woman who had been listening intently to every word of this conversation sat there with tears trembling in her eyes, trying so hard to be quiet and undiscovered.

Jim looked at Spock and considered carefully what he would say next. "And have you found it difficult to deal with us illogical humans again? More difficult than before, maybe?"

Spock shook his head slightly. "Actually not. I find I have more understanding of myself than I ever had. Perhaps it was the teachings at Gol, or perhaps it was my resistance to them, that opened my thought processes up so that I could have more understanding of them. Or perhaps it was V'Ger, and its desperate unhappiness that led me to greater understanding. Most probably, it was all of these things. Jim, there are three possible moves that you can make, and all of them will lead to checkmate in four moves or less. What do you wish to do?"

Jim uttered an oath, and tipped his king over. "Obviously, tonight is not my night to play chess."

McCoy laughed at him. "Might I suggest that we adjourn to my quarters. I have something lovely there that will take the edge off. And I think you might actually enjoy the taste, Spock."

"I am amenable." Spock rose from the table and followed the other two men out of the rec room.

Around the corner, Uhura leaned forward, and buried her face in her hands, struggling desperately to retain her composure. When she felt sure that she would not be noticed, she rose and returned quickly to her quarters, where she sat and pondered all that she had heard, and wondered how he was processing all this new insight.


	21. Chapter 21:A Beginning

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 21 : A Beginning**

**April, 2273**

He sat before his firepot, but he was not meditating. He was simply thinking. He was finding it difficult to meditate, and even more difficult to sleep. His mind was full of the conclusions he had come to during the interaction with V'Ger. He found himself going back over the last three years continuously, examining his own actions, and those of others, and trying to explain them logically. When that did not yield the desired result, he tried to explain them emotionally, a strange undertaking for him.

At length, he rose from his position and pulled on a long-sleeve shirt over the short-sleeved tee that he wore for meditation and sleep. He exited his quarters and headed down the corridors to the observatory, planning to sit and watch the stars go by and think some more. And possibly he would calm himself enough that he could return, and sleep.

But when he entered that room, it was to find that there was someone already there, leaning against the transparent aluminum window, silent and still. He stopped, not sure what to do. She lifted her head, from where it had rested against the cool window, and turned to look at him. She did not speak, only stood looking at him. He advanced slowly, uncertain, until he stood close enough to see the expression on her face.

She looked sad. He knew this feeling now, knew it well. He stood looking at her, wanting to say something, but uncertain what that might be. And she straightened up, and looked back at him, and there was a tear, sparkling in her eye. Her voice, when she spoke, was soft and full of emotion. "I think it hurt you even more than it hurt me." And then she turned and headed out of the room.

He held out one hand, as if to stop her, but he found that he could not. Nor could he speak. He could only stand, and watch her leave, and struggle not to break apart. And when she was no longer in sight, he collapsed upon the bench there before him, and clasped his hands about himself, and rocked his body, seeking comfort. He found none. Unless it was the fact that she had spoken to him, directly to him, for the first time since his entrance onto the bridge. It was a beginning.

Some time later, he rose and returned to his quarters. And there he once more folded himself down onto his flat pillow before his firepot, and lit the incense, and this time he was able to descend into meditation. And when he rose from that, he went to his bed, and lay down, and slept peacefully for two hours. Even the limited contact he had had with her had calmed him. He did not entirely understand it, but he accepted it.

When he was on the bridge later, and she sat at the next station, just on the other side of the turbolift doors, he did not feel tense, or anxious, but rather had a desire to interact with her, to let her see that he wished to atone for what he had done.

And from time to time, he felt her eyes on him, and he was content. It was enough for now. It was a beginning.

When she left the observatory, Nyota went straight to her quarters. She curled up on her couch, clutching the pillow she kept there, wondering if she had done the right thing. Should she have stayed there, and tried to get him to talk? Or was it still too early, as she suspected? It was hard, so hard, to know what was right.

He had looked so tired. But he did not look as gaunt as he had when he had arrived on board. He had started to fill out a little. He needed to fill out more. She worried so about him. It was so obvious that he had suffered, surely as much as she had, if not more. She wanted to go up to him, and comfort him, and at the same time, she wanted to yell and scream at him, and ask him why he had gone away and left her all alone. Although she thought she was beginning to understand that. The things he had said to Kirk and McCoy in the rec room had given her insights that she had not had before. But they still needed to talk, although she was not at all sure that he was capable of doing that yet. And she was certain that she could not do it without crying.

But they had stood there, in the same room, and looked into each other's eyes. And he had listened, when she spoke to him, and watched her carefully. It was a beginning.

The next day, when she sat at her station, she found her eyes drawn to him, from time to time. He was changing, from that hard, harsh, totally contained 'thing' that he had been when he arrived on the ship, growing slowly closer to the man she had known for so long. All she had to do was wait. Wait for the proper timing, the proper situation, to find the proper thing to say. For now, she could only look, and wait, and hope. But it was a beginning.


	22. Chaptr 22:Too Much Control Does Not Help

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 22 : Too Much Control Does Not Help**

**April, 2273**

It was difficult to know exactly what to do. He spent many hours trying to decide, and still he was not confident that what he did was right. He must make a start, somehow, but he was not at all sure that he knew what that start should be. But he was entirely certain that he must not ignore her, as he had done when he first came aboard. And so, when he entered the bridge, he nodded at her, and when he lifted his eyes from his terminal and saw her looking in his direction, he met her eyes with his own, and did not look away, although he found this very difficult. But he kept his eyes controlled, and did not allow her to see the pain he felt, or the longing. And she looked down, and sighed, and there was tension on her face, and he did not know why.

When he joined the others in the mess hall, he was glad at first, to find that his usual position had been filled. He was not at all sure that he was ready to sit beside her. He did not think that he would be able to control himself at all if she touched him. And if she shrank away, and did not want him beside her, all his hopes would be destroyed. Sitting elsewhere was much better at this point. Where he sat, he could see her, and she could see him if she wished. He spoke with Jim, and with McCoy, and with Scotty, but she did not speak to him, and so he did not speak to her, unsure how to proceed. And when she rose from the table, he saw doubt in her eyes, and what appeared to be pain, and he was afraid that once again he had done the wrong thing.

He could not sleep that night, and so he rose, and walked the corridors, trying to force his mind to be blank, but it would not obey him. Once again, he found his steps directed to the observatory, to the wide windows that looked out at the stars. He stood before the window, hands clasped behind his back, and remembered seeing her standing here, not so very long ago. When he heard the soft gasp behind him, he knew immediately that it was she. Slowly he turned, and gazed upon her, trying to maintain his shields, his decorum, his emotional control. And he saw again the pain in her eyes. He was doing something very wrong, and he must change this quickly. He tentatively reached out one hand to her, allowing some of what he felt to appear in his face, and she did not retreat. However, she did not approach, either. But she looked at him, tilting her head slightly, searching his face, and he slowly, so very slowly, allowed the pain to show. She nodded, then, and sighed. And she went to one of the benches and sat, turning then to look at him. He walked across the room, not sure that he understood what she wanted, but desperate to show that he was trying, and sat on the other end of the bench. They sat there in silence, and watched the stars go by, until she sighed again, and rose.

He rose as well, and looked down at her, and spoke, finally, his voice rough. "I will escort you to your quarters." He waited, to be sure she would accept this, while she looked at him, a curious expression on her face. She nodded slowly, and started off, and he followed, walking not quite beside her, his hands clasped tightly behind him.

When they reached her quarters, she tapped the touchplate beside her door, and stepped into the doorway, turning then to face him again. "Thank you, Spock." And then she was inside, and the door was shut, and he was in the corridor, alone. But she had spoken to him, and he had learned something. When he tried to control all his feelings, and hide them from her, she suffered pain. She wished to know how he felt. She evidentially did not despise him. A heavy weight slid off his shoulders, and he walked slowly down the corridor to his own quarters, knowing somehow that now he would be able to sleep.


	23. Chapter 23:An Evening in the Rec Room

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 23 : An Evening in the Rec Room**

**April, 2273**

He found that returning to his previous habits was becoming easier, and that he was becoming more relaxed and comfortable by assuming them. Therefore, on the night that he had normally carried his ka'athyra to the rec room, he found himself standing beside where he had it fastened down, so that it did not become damaged from sudden movements of the ship. He was very relieved when his crate of personal belongings that had been at StarFleet Storage had been transported to the Enterprise before they had left Earth orbit after the incident with the intruder. Although the uniforms in it were no longer useful, his ka'athyra, his firepot, and several other personal items had been gratefully received. He had no idea why this crate had not been shipped to Vulcan when he resigned his commission, but he would not complain in the least.

He unfastened the padded clamp, and picked up his ka'athyra, and proceeded down the corridors to the rec room where the bridge staff normally congregated. When he entered the room, there was a susurrous of sound, quickly extinguished. He found an empty place, at the end of one table, near the back of the room, and began to check the tuning of the ka'athyra, while the conversation in the room proceeded by fits and starts as they waited to hear him play. He derived some satisfaction from the fact that they were obviously eager to hear him play. He had waited to do so until he had spent some time practicing, for it had been three long years since he had held this instrument in his hands.

When he felt the tuning was correct, he began to play softly. The conversation in the room died out, and people sat quietly, watching him. It was in the middle of his second piece that she walked into the room, stopping in the doorway for a moment before proceeding on to find a chair against the wall, near Sulu and Rand and Chekov. He was aware that her eyes were on him, and he desired greatly to hear her voice intertwined with the melodious sound of the ka'athyra, but he could not bring himself to ask.

Very fortunately, he did not have to, for when the song came to an end, there were many voices in the room, urging her to sing with him, as they used to do. He steeled himself for her refusal, and raised his head, looking in her direction. She met his eyes, confusion and doubt showing plainly, and he tried to welcome her, tried to make himself appealing, with little expression on his face, only his eyes showing his desire. When she rose, and walked to the center of the room, he found that he had been holding his breath. He laid his hands on the strings, and began one of the songs that he loved to hear her sing. She recognized the opening chords, and nodded her agreement, and soon the room was filled with her lovely voice. He struggled to control himself, pouring the emotions that threatened to overwhelm him into his playing.

There was thunderous applause when the song was finished, and he laid his hands upon the strings to silence them. And then she turned in his direction and quietly spoke the name of another song, and he nodded, agreeing, pleased that she would choose to sing again. He began the song, a much livelier one, and her voice swelled with joy and laughter as she sang, and everyone in the room joined in on the chorus when she spread her hands invitingly. When the song was over, she turned again in his direction, and quietly thanked him for playing, and rejoined her friends at the far table.

He played two more songs, quieter ones now, and then he rose and left the room. But as he passed the table where she sat, he turned his head and found her watching him, and nodded slightly, acknowledging her. And she gave him a very, very small smile. He almost tripped over his own feet, it was so unexpected. And it warmed him all the way back to his quarters, and throughout his entire meditation. And when he lay in his bed, ready for sleep, it was the last thing he remembered as he drifted off.


	24. Chapter 24:Working Together

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 24 : Working Together**

**May, 2273**

Towards the middle of the morning, Uhura jumped from her seat with a small shriek. Spock was instantly by her side. "What has happened?"

She pointed to a small point of crackling energy in the middle of her console. "I got a big shock. Something has shorted out."

Spock immediately moved her chair out of the way and folded himself down to the floor, sliding up under her console. He quickly found the point where he could disconnect her console from the power nodes, and heard the crackle die away.

"You've got it turned off. Thanks."

"It will be necessary to disassemble a major portion of your console in order to isolate the problem."

Kirk was leaning over the railing now. "Will the two of you need any help?"

"I do not believe so, Captain. Together we have repaired the communications console many times."

"But this one's not like the other one. Everything's been updated."

Spock's dry voice replied. "It is sufficiently alike that I do not believe that we shall have any problem. Lieutenant Commander Uhura is extremely well qualified in her field."

"Well, okay, but yell out if there's anything you need." Kirk turned and went back to the command chair, leaving the two officers to do their job.

Uhura knelt down beside Spock. "What tools do we need to get?"

"I believe the standard tool kit will be sufficient, at least to disassemble the console and isolate the problem. A small portable power unit will also be necessary."

"Okay, I'll head for the lab and pick all that up. I'll be back shortly." And she stood and headed for the turbolift, leaving him laying on the floor, realizing that this was the longest conversation they had had with each other yet. And neither of them had been the least bit uneasy, either.

While he waited for her to return with the tools, he used the small tricorder from the science station to attempt to assess the damage. It was difficult to do without the power on, but he did not wish to risk more damage by applying power. He did determine where the most damaged circuits appeared to be.

When she knelt down beside him again, and opened the tool kit, he began asking for specific tools, which she passed to him quickly. And then she was on the floor as well, on her back, supporting the panel he was attempting to remove from under the console. When he had released all the connections, she took the panel and laid it to one side, as though they had rehearsed this maneuver many times. Perhaps, in a way, they had.

He remembered all the many times that he had assisted her in repair work, and the times she had assisted him as well. His memory fixed on the time the ship had been under attack while they were working under her console, and a lurch while he was holding onto a bracket had cut his fingers deeply. He remembered well the care and attention she had given him as he healed, and the way in which she had verified that he was indeed fully functional again. His body grew warm at that memory, and he felt stirrings that he had not felt for the last three years. Forcefully, he subdued his body, and turned his attention back to the chore at hand.

She was watching him, waiting for him to continue. There were two more panels to remove before they could assess the section of electronics where the problem was. For some reason, she remembered the time that she had had to repair a communications beacon, and he had accompanied her. They had been very closely confined there, but he had still found a way to excite her, and himself. She should absolutely not be thinking about that now. She pushed those thoughts way down, and sat on them, and turned her attention back to right now, just in time to hand him another tool.

He got the second panel loose, and she laid it with the first. He began to undo the connectors of the third panel when suddenly she reached over and pulled his hand back. The touch of her fingers against his was a great shock and he almost gasped aloud. His head snapped to the side, and he looked directly into her face. "Look, there's still energy there! If you had touched that…."

She was absolutely correct, and he had not noticed it at all. There should not be any energy there. He had disconnected the power node. Where was the energy coming from? He reached for the tricorder again and passed it over the circuits. "There. There is a cross-over where there should not be."

She leaned closer, so that she could see the read-out. "It needs to be disconnected there." She pointed to one particular node on the display.

"You are correct. However, I do not believe that I can get my hand in there. The tolerance is very small."

"Let me see whether I can reach it." Once again, she was on her back, sliding under the console. She took the tool from him and reached carefully up beside the stack of boards, concentrating on locating the power connection that should already have been disconnected.

"A centimeter more to your right, so that you do not touch the wall." He watched carefully, not wanting her to receive a shock. With a small shove, she connected with the connection and severed it, and the energy flow was shut off. She gave a small sigh of relief and carefully withdrew the tool, handing it back to him and sliding back out from underneath the console. He found himself regretting how quickly she had been able to perform her task. It had been quite pleasant working in such close quarters with her.

The third panel came off quickly now, and they could begin to assess the damage. He suspected that that cross-connection was responsible, but he did not yet have an idea what had caused it. They managed to remove all the damaged boards, and while she went to check the communications lab for spares, he investigated the inside of the console, trying to find the cause of the cross-connection. By the time she returned, he believed he had found it. She knelt down, and placed the stack of replacement components within easy reach, sliding back under the console to lay beside him. He pointed with the tool in his hand to a patch of melted plastic. "There has been some sort of heat or energy here, which has melted the insulating material. Most probably it was this initial burst of energy which precipitated the entire problem. However, I have not been able to ascertain what caused that initial problem."

She looked hard at where he was pointing. "What's on the other side of that? Isn't that up against the turbolift shaft?"

She was absolutely correct. He lifted his wrist toward his face and spoke into his communicator. In a very brief time, there was an engineer in the turbolift shaft examining the area in question. He told them to cover their faces, and there was a short blast, and then there was a small hole in the wall between the shaft and the back of her station. The engineer's grinning face was looking through at them. "There's a wiring fault here. We probably never would have found this if you hadn't had a problem. I'll have it fixed in just a moment. Going to repair the wall now." And he inserted a strange apparatus into the hole and injected something, which caused the hole to close from the outside to the center.

"Fascinating."

She actually giggled. He thrilled to hear it. When the engineer commed them a few moments later and said his work was finished, they began to insert the new components. It only took a few minutes. She slid back out, and he reconnected the power node. He waited while she checked over her console. "Looks good. I think we fixed it."

He began to replace the cover panels, working quickly. She collected all the tools, and replaced them in the tool box. When he had the last panel set in place, he handed her the last tool, and she rose with the tool box and portable power supply, and was in the turbolift before he could exit from beneath the console. He would have preferred that she not retreat so quickly. However, this had been a most encouraging encounter. He rose, brushed himself off, and returned to his own console.

Kirk swiveled his chair around. "All fixed?"

"It appears to be fully functional again. You may question Lieutenant Commander Uhura more thoroughly if you desire."

"No, no, if you say it's fixed, then I'm sure it's fixed." The captain was quiet for a moment and then continued in a much softer tone of voice. "It's good to see the two of you working together again. Reminds me of old times."

He could only agree.


	25. Chapter 25:Hesitant Conversation

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 25 : Hesitant Conversation**

**May, 2273**

He had meditated, but he was not calm. He left his quarters and roamed the almost deserted corridors, not certain what he was looking for. As he drew near the mess hall, he suddenly turned and entered, going to one of the synthesizers on the wall for a cup of tea. It was not until he turned about that he realized that there was someone else already seated there. She lifted her head, and looked at him, and he hovered there in a state of near panic, unsure what was the correct thing to do. After a short pause, he did the only thing that he was capable of. He walked slowly over to her, and stood on the other side of the table, and spoke quietly. "Do I have your permission to sit here?"

She was quiet for so long that he began to steel himself to move away, and then she waved at the seat before him. "Sit. Maybe even talk."

With grateful relief, he set his cup of tea on the table and folded himself down into the chair, never taking his eyes from hers. He was not sure how to start, but start he must. "Can you not sleep?"

She sighed. "No, I couldn't. I went and looked at the stars, and that didn't help, either. I thought maybe a cup of hot tea would help me relax."

"And is it doing what you wished?"

"Not really. Maybe I just needed someone to talk to." She tilted her head sideways and looked at him. "Will you talk to me, Spock?"

"I would be most gratified to speak with you." He was overjoyed, overwhelmed with feelings, which he must control. He must let her lead him where she wished to go.

She nodded then, her face quiet, and sipped on her tea. When she spoke again, the topic was not at all what he expected. "Did they teach you what you needed to know at Gol?"

"No, they did not. They attempted to teach me their discipline, but my mind is not wired in that way. I appeared to have accepted what they taught me, but in reality, I had not accepted it at all. I have found that undoing what they forced on me is taking much less time than putting it in place."

She looked very serious now. "So you didn't get any answers from their discipline at all?"

"I suppose that I did. But not the answers that I expected. What I learned there was that I cannot completely suppress my emotions. They are too much a part of me. And I found that I did not wish to. I have slowly grown used to having emotions, and their loss was very great."

She looked more curious now. "And what emotions have you grown used to having?"

"Friendship. Companionship. While these may not seem like emotions to you, they are not so easily found on Vulcan. Curiosity. StarFleet has allowed me great range in expressing my curiosity, and I must admit that this has given me much intellectual satisfaction, and well as a considerable degree of contentment. A small amount of pride in my own accomplishments, which would never be accepted on Vulcan. Joy in creating. Satisfaction in research done correctly, to benefit those in this crew, and others in Starfleet as well. Contentment in my chosen life. All of these things I had, and did not realize the value of until they were gone."

She was watching him carefully now. "And you are content now? You're where you want to be?"

"I am back in StarFleet and I feel that this is the correct place for me to live and work. I am accepted here, for what I can accomplish, and for who I am. None disparage me or attempt to force me to be someone I am not. And I have discovered that I have friends, who express satisfaction that I am back among them, who invite me to participate in activities with them. The pleasant feeling of spending time with amiable companions is greatly appreciated and anticipated. I do not have to hide these feelings any longer. But I would not say that I am perfectly content at this point. My life is not yet what I would wish it to be."

"And what would you wish for that you do not yet have?" Her voice was soft, and trembled slightly.

"I wish with all my heart that I could put to rights what is wrong between us." His voice, like hers, had gone softer, and deeper, and was not entirely steady. "I have committed grievous errors in my treatment of you, because I did not understand the complexities of what was happening. I wish to atone for this, if at all possible."

A single tear trembled on the edge of her eyelid, and rolled slowly down her cheek. She moved one hand forward, until it rested in the middle of the table. "We have many things to talk about, Spock. Much that needs discussing."

He looked at her hand, and his reached forth, trembling, to lightly touch his fingertips against hers. The shocks that raced along his nerves from that light touch made his whole body shudder, as did hers. "I am amenable to discussion."

"And will you give me reasons, Spock?"

"Where I can. And if I cannot, I will plainly say so. I will hide nothing from you, Nyota."

Her head bowed down, and her fingers clutched his tightly for a moment. And then she drew back her hand, and raised her head again, with tears flooding her eyes. Her voice almost failed her as she spoke. "I can't do this now, Spock. No more tonight. I just can't. It's too hard."

He trembled there, afraid that he had gone to far, pushed too much. His voice when he spoke was rough. "Another night, perhaps? When you have had a chance to formulate your questions?"

She nodded, not speaking anymore at all. And then she rose, but she did not leave. Instead she looked at him, still sitting at the table, his cup of tea forgotten in front of him. "Will you walk me to my quarters?"

He rose quickly, gathering up the teacups. "Let me carry these to the busing station, and then I will gladly escort you to your quarters." It took only a moment to accomplish that, and then he rounded the table to stand beside her, and they walked slowly out into the corridor, and down toward her quarters, not speaking, but very much aware of each other, there so close.

When she reached her door, she paused, and turned to him again. "One step at a time. That's all I can promise."

"That will certainly be sufficient."

She nodded. "Good night, Spock." And then she was inside, and he was alone in the corridor again. But he was no longer rife with confusion and formless anxiety. They had a plan, sketchy as it may be. They _would_ talk again. And he would answer any question she put to him, as plainly as he could. And it was very obvious to him now, that he must court her again, slowly, and in full public view. He must make her understand what she was to him, and that he did not wish to live his life without her.


	26. Chapter 26:Advice From a Friend

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 26 : Advice From a Friend**

**May, 2273**

McCoy slid into the seat across from him and began to eat his breakfast. Spock had never seen the appeal in grits, he supposed that particular food must be one that you acquired a taste for in childhood. He was continually surprised to find it on the breakfast menu with great regularity. He continued with his own breakfast, sure that McCoy would have some interesting conversational banter to contribute as soon as he had made some headway into his breakfast. Unfortunately, what he had to say was not especially appealing.

"Spock, you've stalled long enough. You need to report to sick bay for your mandatory quarterly physical. You should have reported the day you came aboard. I made allowances for what we were going through at the time, but you just don't have any more time. I need to turn in my quarterly reports soon, and if there's no physical for you in there, I going to have to explain why. I expect you in sick bay today."

Spock almost grimaced. He was only too aware that McCoy was not going to be satisfied with what he found. "Is there a preferred time, doctor?"

"Whenever it's most convenient for you. I don't have much of a schedule today."

"Would 1130 suffice?"

"Excellent. I'll be expecting you then."

"I will inform my mid-day relief to report to the bridge early, then." Spock rose and carried his tray and dishes to the busing station, and proceeded to the bridge, making the stated arrangements as soon as he arrived.

The morning passed completely uneventfully, except for the fact that Uhura was missing from her station. Apparently she was buried in paperwork, readying herself for the quarterly reviews that would take place over the next few weeks. Her replacement was proficient enough, but wholly unsatisfactory. When his relief appeared, he was actually glad to leave the bridge.

When he reached sick bay, McCoy came out of his office and waved him into one of the private examining rooms. Closing the door, he motioned to the biobed, and Spock arranged himself there. McCoy's face turned to the tell-tales on the wall, watching as Spock's system was evaluated. "Hm, you are most definitely underweight. And your muscle mass has decreased by almost 10 %. This is not good Spock. You are run-down, too, deficient is several minerals. I'm going to give you a supplement to take. It almost looks like you've been operating on the edge of starvation for some time." He turned to look at the man on the biobed. "Did they starve you at that monastery?"

"Not to that extent, no, doctor." He was extremely uncomfortable now.

"What, did they have some sort of computed minimal daily nutritional requirements formula and feed you strictly off that? I know some of the religious organizations on Earth have done things like that in the past."

"That is much closer to the actuality, yes."

"Well, I can tell you that it was not sufficient for you. You need to eat more, every meal, and take these supplements. And you need to start working out, but slowly, because you don't want to work off weight faster than you can put it on."

Spock actually sighed. "I have begun to do both of those things already, doctor. I am aware that I am not in optimal condition."

McCoy watched him, seeing that his friend was truly concerned about his own health. "Well, I'll just monitor you once a week for the next month, to be sure you're progressing. At the end of that time, if you don't show any improvement, I'll offer some suggestions. How does that sit with you?"

"That is acceptable."

And then McCoy sat down on the rolling stool that was beside the biobed and looked straight into his friend's face. "Spock, you do know that you are among friends here, don't you?"

"I have come to understand that, yes."

"And friends look out for each other. In many ways. How are you recovering from what they did to you at Gol? Not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. I don't think that was the right place for you at all."

"Your insights are correct. That was not the right place, nor the right discipline for me. I am finding it much easier to remove than it was to gain. I believe that I am finding my equilibrium again, although slowly."

"And emotionally - how are you doing in that area? And don't tell me that you don't have any, because I know better."

When he did not reply immediately, McCoy frowned, but then Spock gave another deep sigh and began to speak. "My emotions are still in turmoil. When I reached Gol, I was in a profound state of shock, and nothing that happened there did anything to heal that. It was just pushed down and hidden from me. Since I have been back on the Enterprise, I have started to process those emotions, and to slowly understand them. My thinking is much more orderly now, and I find that I can handle most of what occurs without resorting to suppressing what I am feeling."

"Some of your hormone levels are out of whack still. Hopefully, correcting your deficiencies will help that. Are you able to meditate?"

"Most evenings, yes. If I find that I cannot, I go to the observatory and watch the stars. I do find this soothing."

"And how are you sleeping?"

"Barely sufficiently. I will confess to difficulty in this area. I feel that my inability to meditate properly is partially at fault there."

"And there wouldn't be any other reason?"

"What reason might that be, doctor?" Although he was certain that he knew what McCoy was referring to.

Now it was McCoy's turn to sigh. "Listen to me, you hobgoblin. I know what you've been through. I was there at the beginning, remember? Have you made any progress with Uhura at all?"

Spock pursed his lips and his brows drew together. He really did not want to discuss this at all. However, he knew that McCoy's intentions were good. "I do remember, doctor. There is some progress. We are speaking to each other. However, she is still in much pain, and I am the cause. I have determined that it will be necessary to proceed very slowly, and I feel that I must begin to court her over from the beginning, if I have any hope of succeeding at all." He could not bring himself to say anything further.

McCoy nodded, understanding. "If at any time, you want to talk, you know where to find me. And I do mean that Spock."

Spock looked directly at McCoy. "Thank you. It means much to me to have someone who understands what I am going through. I am finding that I must be much more open than I was previously in order to regain what I have lost. Perhaps I was never as open as was actually beneficial to me. I am trying to learn."

"That's good. And now perhaps it is time to head for the mess hall and fill you up with extra nutrients. My stomach is telling me that it must be lunchtime."

"I am agreeable." And the two men rose, and headed for the mess hall, walking side by side in companionable silence.


	27. Chapter 27:Walking About

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 27 : Walking About**

**May, 2273**

He presented himself at the door to her quarters, an hour after everyone had left the mess hall. "Would you walk with me?"

She stood there, for a moment, looking into his eyes, and then she stepped out into the corridor, and nodded at him, and they started off. After a few minutes, she hesitantly touched his arm, and he looked down at her. "A little slower, Spock. We don't really have a destination, do we?"

"No, we do not. I do apologize. I will slow my steps." And so he did, adopting a more leisurely stride that accommodated her shorter legs. He must remember this in the future.

They walked the corridors for an hour, speaking only occasionally. And then he took her back to her quarters, and thanked her for her presence. And she gave him a tiny, tiny smile in return, before the door shut behind her.

Almost every evening after that, they could be found, somewhere in the many corridors of the ship, walking side by side, not quite touching, sometimes speaking and sometimes not, but always very conscious of the other, there so close.

Occasionally they would stop in the observatory, and stand before the wide windows and look out at the stars. And sometimes they would sit on one of the benches, and talk quietly to each other, of things that had happened between them in the past, and things that had happened to them while they were separated for almost three years. And so he learned of the time she had spent as Kirk's assistant while the Enterprise was being refitted, and she learned of his life at Gol. And slowly, so very slowly, they approached the period that they must eventually discuss, but they could not go there, not yet.

After some time, it occurred to him that she would enjoy walking in the arboretum, and so one evening he took her there, and they walked slowly down the paths, admiring the lush foliage, smelling the lovely scents, commenting on the bright colors. It was calming, and something that he made sure happened again, on a regular basis, at least once a week, but never on the same day two weeks in a row. He did not want her to feel that he had formed habits where she was concerned.

It seemed a logical extension of their walking to walk side by side on the treadmills in the gym. And so their previous Saturday morning routine began slowly to reappear. First it was merely walking, and then they added some laps in the pool, and after that there were the stretches that they did before the walking. As the weeks went by, the stretches grew to include simple work with the dumbbells, and the walking on the treadmill became slow jogging, and the number of laps increased. But neither of them was ready yet for the sparing that they had done previously. Although they both thought of it, now and again.

As the days passed, and then the weeks, they became more comfortable together, and the hesitancy between them all but disappeared. They spoke more confidently now, and occasionally, they touched each other, quickly, gently, fleeting motions of the fingertips only. But the link stayed closed between them, as he was not sure what her desires were on this subject, and he had no wish to impose on her, nor frighten her.

And all the crew became used to seeing them, walking about, talking to each other, and none thought it strange to see them so. And McCoy was eased somewhat, to see that she watched him, even when he did not seem to be aware of it, and her eyes were softer than they had been. There did not seem to be so much pain there, as there had been. And when she came for her quarterly exam, and he asked her how she was doing, she smiled, and said she was fine. And he thought perhaps it was true.


	28. Chapter 28:Public Courting

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 28 : Public Courting**

**June, 2273**

Perhaps he grew bolder, or perhaps simply more confident, but it was not long before he was once again by her side at mealtimes. And she seemed content to have him there. It was one morning, as he struggled to consume the nutrients he had selected for breakfast, that she looked at what he had there on his tray and sighed. He turned his head in her direction, confused. "You'll never eat enough to gain back the weight you've lost if you don't choose things that taste good!"

He looked at the unappetizing mixture of boiled grains and steamed vegetables on his plate and found that he had to agree with her. "What would you suggest?"

She rose from her seat and took his tray, taking the glass of fruit juice off of it and setting it back on the table and crossed to the busing station, leaving everything else there. Back to the serving line she went, and a few minutes later she was back at the table, setting a full tray in front of him. He looked down in astonishment. Waffles with pecans in them, covered with butter and maple syrup. A small omelet, stuffed with cheese and peppers and onions. Whole wheat toast, with peanut butter and jam. Half a cantaloupe filled with blueberries. His mouth actually watered and he lifted the fork and began to eat.

When McCoy sat down across from them a short while later, he noticed Spock's tray and heartily approved. Nyota grinned. And thereafter, she was in charge of filling his tray. He found himself eating a much wider variety of foods. And everything she chose for him was appealing, full of herbs and spices and savory vegetables and fresh fruit. And because she was selecting his food, of course he must appear at her door to escort her to the mess hall at breakfast time. It was one morning not very long after she began to select his food, that she tentatively touched his sleeve, and he bent his elbow out, allowing her to slide her hand between his body and his arm, as she had used to do. And so they were seen after that, walking the corridors, with her hand tucked into his elbow, and her head close to his shoulder.

She introduced him to savory vegetable stews, with robust whole grain breads to accompany them, and salads filled with many different vegetables, as well as nuts and cheese, and sometimes even fruit. He found no fault with any of it. He learned to appreciate fried rice, and refried beans, and spring rolls, as well as curried lentils, and pumpkin soup, and samosas, and baklava, which he had always refused to try on the grounds that it was too sweet. He discovered that it went well with an astringent tea. And he began to regain the weight that he had lost, slowly but surely, to the great delight of McCoy.

They continued their walks, and as they walked through the arboretum, if his hand brushed against hers as he pointed out some feature of a new blooming plant, she did not withdraw, but seemed rather to linger there, allowing the touch. When they stopped in the observatory to watch the stars, it would not have been possible to insert so much as a thin sheet of plastic between their bodies as they sat upon the bench. And if her head seemed to lean against his shoulder, he did not remark upon it, but held himself still, and treasured it.

Every week, he played his ka'athyra in the rec room, and she was always there, and always sang while he played, smiling at him, and sometimes coming to stand by his side, or at his shoulder, with the fingers of one hand lightly touching him. He minded this not at all, and would have encouraged more of it, if he could have imagined a way to do so.

And so it was, that he took a chance, and asked her, as they were leaving the mess hall after end-meal one evening, if she would attend this week's movie with him. She looked up at him then and asked him if he remembered how she liked her popcorn. "I have forgotten nothing about you, Nyota." was his response, and she blushed and smiled, and clung to his arm, and his blood heated more than was sensible.

When the correct evening came, he turned from the synthesizer-turned-popcorn-dispenser, with the large carton of well-buttered and salted popcorn that she preferred, and found her standing there beside him, eager. They went down the short distance to the room where the movies were always shown, and took their normal place, in the back row, against the far wall. And there they sat, and he dropped his hand down behind them, so that the backs of his fingers rested against the soft skin of her thigh, and she did not protest at all. And when the music started, and the action began on the screen, her fingers rose to his mouth, with several kernels of popcorn in them, and she stuffed them between his lips as though she had never once stopped doing this. And something inside him broke loose, and he was filled with her, and must control himself strongly to prevent an untoward display of emotion. And he knew, with every fiber of his being, that they must have that talk that he was dreading, and very soon.


	29. Chapter 29:Private Conversations

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 29 : Private Conversations**

**June, 2273**

He had meditated, and tried to sleep, but sleep would not come. And so he rose, and added a heavy sweater to his loose pants and tee shirt, and roamed the deserted corridors of the the ship's night. At length he found himself once again approaching the mess hall, and decided on a cup of soothing herbal tea, that might help him to relax. When he turned, steaming cup in hand, there she sat, staring at him. He crossed the room, and looked down at her, but before he could speak she was waving her hand at the chair across from her, so he sat down, filled both with joy and trepidation. For she was watching him intently, and somehow he knew that the time had come at last, when they must speak of what had caused their separation, and the pain that each of them had endured.

She used words very similar to those he had uttered to her, not so very long ago. "I guess you can't sleep, either."

"No, I could not. I find that my mind is full of many things, which have not been resolved, and so prevent me from achieving the peace necessary to satisfying sleep."

She nodded her head. "I know just what you mean." She sighed then, and turned her cup about on the table. She continued to speak, not lifting her eyes from where they were focused on that still-full cup. "There are things we need to talk about, Spock."

"I am aware of this. I will attempt to discuss these things whenever you are ready."

She sighed again. And then she lifted her head and looked into his eyes. "I don't know whether I'll actually ever be desirous of doing this, but it needs to be done. We need to put this past us, or we're never going to get beyond it. Never going to be able to trust one another again."

"If you cannot trust me, I fully understand. However, I do wish to amend that situation. What do you require from me?"

"Tell me, Spock, in your own words, what you feel happened there."

He did not need any further specifications. He knew exactly what she was referring to. He took a deep breath, and slowly began to speak. "I awoke to find you in great pain. I did not know the cause. I raised the lights and saw the blood. I was alarmed, and concerned for you. But when I attempted to aid you, you screamed at me, and cursed at me, and told me to leave you and never return."

She gasped, and sat up straighter, looking at him. "I did?"

He nodded, concentrating on containing himself. "You raised your fists, and pummeled my body, and refused to allow me to sooth you, closing down the link between us almost completely. And so I did the only thing I could think of, and carried you to the flitter we had rented, and took you to the city, to the medical center. By the time we arrived there, you were not really conscious, and they took you away quickly. I stood there, in the corridor, with your blood, and that of our child, upon my clothing, and mourned, full of grief and shock."

She was crying now, silently, tears streaming down her face. He wanted to reach out a hand and brush them away, but he did not trust himself, not at all. He himself might start crying if he touched her now.

"I could not think. The sounds of your voice, the things you had said, the blame you had placed upon me, continued to circulate through my mind, and were all that I could comprehend. And when the doctor came out and told me it was as I feared, that the child was lost, something inside of me broke. I did not feel that you wished to have me there, to confront you when you awoke, and I wished to cause you no further pain. And so I returned to the cabin, and packed our belongings, and returned to the medical center and left your things, and paid all the bills, and left."

Her lips trembled, and her hands twisted about the forgotten cup before her. "And you broke our bond."

He jerked upright now, staring at her in astonishment. "I did not! I could not have done that, Nyota. I shut it down to the merest trickle, only enough to assure me that you still lived. Had I broken it, I would have fully broken my own sanity. It is not broken. I assure you that it is still there."

She looked at him, both eyes and mouth wide open, astonishment written plainly across her face. "The bond is not broken? I am still your adun'a?"

"Most certainly. And I am still your adun. That has not changed."

"I thought… I thought you had abandoned me. That you no longer desired me, because I could not give you a healthy child. I thought…. Spock, I did not remember what I had said when I was in pain and shock. I did not mean those things, not at all. When I awoke, and they told me that you had left, I … I…. I thought you did not want me any more. I could not feel the bond at all, and I was so empty, so alone. I thought it was broken."

He did reach across the table now, and touch her fingers, so tentatively. "It is not broken. It would cost my life to break it." His voice was rough, and low, and choked with the tears he had not shed, although they were so close, so very close.

They sat there, in silence, for some time, thinking about what the other had said. Eventually, she raised her eyes to him again. "We both misunderstood the other. We have caused our own pain. When we should have been together, sharing our grief, we were apart, blaming ourselves for sending the other away."

He nodded, certain that all she had said was true. "We were filled with grief, and could not think clearly. And so we committed actions which only made our grief worse." He sighed. "My father came to Gol, when he had determined somehow that that was where I was, and tried to get me to leave, to come home with him, and consult with healers. But I was too far consumed with grief and pain to consider what he said, to believe that there was any other solution for me. If I did not have you in my life, I had no life to consider. All joy was fled, and it did not matter to me what happened after that." In spite of his attempts to control it, a tear rolled down his cheek. He made no attempt to hide it whatsoever.

She clenched her fingers about his, and shook. "I was so ill, for so long. I think that doctor there missed something. I got to Earth, to Atlanta, and called McCoy and he came and took me to his home, and cared for me. I was so depressed. I am not sure that I have many memories of that time, even now. Nor do I wish to. I do not wish to endure that kind of pain ever again. I want to heal, Spock, I want to be me again."

Very, very hesitantly, he lifted one hand from where she had them clenched between hers, and with one long finger, wiped away the tears from her face. "Then you shall heal, Nyota, for that is what is necessary for it to occur, the wanting, the desire to be whole again." Another tear rolled down his cheek, and she marveled to see it, and in her heart, the terrible tight band of her despair released, and she shook with the shock of it, the feeling that somehow things would get better now. She laid her head down on the table, cushioning it on their clasped hands, and shivered, trying to recover her equilibrium. He did not move, nor speak, only sat there with her, and continued to hold her hands.

At length, she took in a long, deep breath, and let it out in shudders, and lifted her head from the table, and straightened up, dropping his hands. "I need to think. I need to be alone for a while."

He nodded. There was certainly much to think about. He rose, and took their untouched cups of tea to the busing station and returned to her, and she rose and tucked her hand into his elbow, leaning her head against his shoulder. And so they went slowly down the corridors to her quarters, and she tapped the touchplate by her door, going to stand in the open doorway before turning to look at him once more. "I am still your adun'a."

It was most definitely not a question. "I am still your adun." His eyes did not leave hers, not for one second.

She nodded then, and turned and entered her quarters, and the door closed behind her, leaving him alone in the corridor. He turned and strode unsteadily the remaining distance to his own quarters, and went inside, and thought over everything that had happened between them this night. He did not meditate, he did not sleep, he simply sat and thought.

The next day was Saturday, but she was not in the gym. Nor was she in the mess hall. He began to worry. He considered many possibilities, but only one held any amount of attraction to him at all. And so, at length, he began to search for her. But he did not find her anywhere he looked. He did not give up, he could not give up. He must find her, for he must tell her what he wished.


	30. Chapter 30:The Rejoining

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 30 : The Rejoining**

**June 2273 **

He found her, finally, by opening up the bond beyond the bare trickle it had been at for so long. He did not open it wide, only enough to sense where she was. She was in the observation deck again. He entered, stopping just out of hand's reach. She was leaning against the cool plasteel, looking at the stars. He waited until she turned and looked at him. She was confused. He did not see how she could be otherwise. She straightened up and looked at him. "Spock?" Her voice was soft, unjudgemental.

He swallowed. He must do this. He must not give up, not allow himself to fail. "There is something I would show you, if you will allow it."

She looked at him, her brows drawn together, pondering. He waited, barely breathing. At length, she nodded. He did not betray his relief. He gestured in the direction he wished to go, and she began to walk beside him. He clasped his hands behind his back, so she would not see that they shook.

They walked the corridors of the ship, almost deserted at this hour, headed by the quickest route to where he wished to take her. When they arrived in the small storage room, she looked confused, and even more so when he quickly climbed the ladder bolted to the wall and opened the hatch in the ceiling. He climbed through and turned about, still clinging to the ladder, offering her a hand. She climbed up the ladder, knowing immediately what this room was before she was even inside. She inhaled sharply, glancing hard at him, but he kept his face controlled. He held onto her with one hand, his feet hooked about the ladder, and closed the hatch, sealing them inside the small gravity-free space. And then he released his grasp on the ladder and they floated free. She never took her eyes off of his face.

He steeled himself. He did not know how she would react. But he must do this. He must try. "I brought you to a room like this. Seven years ago."

She nodded. "I do remember."

"We gave each other pleasure there."

Her lips compressed, but she did not waver in her concentration. She nodded again.

He hesitated, unsure. Finally he continued, his voice lower, huskier. "I would give you pleasure again, if you would allow it."

Her hand reached out slowly, causing them to spin, drifting. She touched his cheek, so lightly. "Spock?"

He did not know what to say. She had not replied. She had not denied him, but she had not accepted, either. He waited.

She continued to look at him. Eventually she spoke again, her voice strained, soft. "Spock, open up the link and let me feel you."

He trembled then, hesitant. If he allowed her in, and then she denied him, he would be in agony. But he was in agony now. After a torment of deliberation, he began to open the link, slowly. He felt her then, gliding in, filling him with her light, her love, her joy. He made a strangled noise, by no means with any meaning, and opened the link wider, and she surged in, surrounding him. All the empty places filled with her presence, and he began to shake. She moved her hand from his cheek to his shoulder, and pulled herself toward him, until their bodies touched, from shoulder to knee. Her movement made them twist and turn, but he paid no attention to that. His attention was all on the contact, on her body against his. He buried his face in her hair, groaning at her, and she whispered against his neck "Spock. My Spock."

He shuddered, then, having thought never to hear that again. He wrapped his arms about her, and treasured her, and she clung to him, crying softly. They twisted and spun, turning end over end, holding each other, for some time. And then she lifted her head, looking up at him, tear tracks on her face, and spoke only two words. "My quarters."

He blazed, completely out of control. She moaned, her eyes closing, as his arousal swept over her. She felt his lok, hard and hot, rising against her belly, and she rubbed against him, sighing, moaning. She shivered, he shuddered, they held tight to each other, fighting for control. And then he slowly stretched out one arm, moving them closer to the wall, where the ladder was, moving his feet to propel them slowly, until he could grab the ladder, pulling them in. He went hand over hand to the hatch, opening it, then going down feet first, still holding her. When he was far enough that his head cleared, he pulled the hatch shut. A few more rungs and he set her on her feet. She rubbed at her face with her hand, trying to erase the tear tracks.

He waited until she sighed heavily and raised her head, and he touched her cheek so gently. She turned her face, and kissed his fingertips, and he hissed through his teeth at the feel of her soft lips. And then he straightened up, and led her out, and straight to her quarters the fastest way, checking here and there to be sure the corridors were empty. When they reached her quarters, he stopped, but she reached out, and set his hand on the touchplate, and the door opened. He stood there, in shock, while she entered, and then she turned, and grabbed his shirt, and pulled him through the door. As soon as the door closed, she was climbing his body. He wrapped his arms around her, one hand under her bottom, and she wrapped her legs around him, her hands on the back of his neck, tangled in his hair, her mouth on his, greedy, gasping.

He did not know her quarters. He did not know which way to step to press her against a wall, to carry her to the bed. So he devoured her where he stood, starved for the feel of her, the taste of her. He groaned at the ache in his lok, compressed between them, and she moaned back at him, moving her hips against his body, his hand. He began to shake again, and she lifted her mouth from his long enough to tell him where to go. He stumbled against her bed and would have put her down, but she would not release him, so he turned, and sat down, with her in his lap, her legs still around him, and enflamed them both as he tasted and touched and burned for her while she sighed and moaned and put her hands everywhere.

He was shaking and growling at her when she began to pull at his clothing, getting the seals of his shirt open and pulling at it until she could get his arms out. Her hands caressed his chest, his back, his arms, leaving trails of fire blazing down his nerves. He dared not attempt to do the same or he would shred her clothing, he had no doubt of that. But she was removing her own shirt now, and her bra, and he had both hands full of her luscious breasts, and she was moaning again, louder, shuddering against him. He put his hands on her ribs and lifted her up, and she finally unwound her legs from his body. He set her on her feet between his legs and moved his hands down, stripping her trousers and her panties down to her knees in one movement, and then pushing and tugging until they were on the floor and she stood before him, bare. He stood up, tottering, and her hands were there, pulling at his trousers, his briefs, and then his lok sprang free, fully engorged, throbbing, drops of lubricant seeping from the tip.

With a deep growl, he lifted her and laid her on the bed, and then he was between her legs, sinking into her body, thrusting hard, and she was screaming at him, her hands clutching at his ribs, her fingernails scrabbling for purchase, her knees raised high to pull him deeper into her body. And she was screaming his name, over and over, as the ecstasy rolled over her, pulling him in as well, into the white hot fire that he had not felt in far too long.

She clung to him, sobbing, while he hung suspended over her, panting, heart pounding. "Ah, Spock! My Spock! Oh, Spock, I missed you so."

"And I you." His voice was husky, deep, barely audible. He shook with wanting her again, needing her. And she pulled at him, moving her hips against him, demanding more without saying a word. He began to pump against her, sliding in and out, and she sobbed with each thrust, squeezing against him, the flames burning higher, until together they shuddered and convulsed and flew into the light, the joy, the unity of sharing so long denied.

This time he almost collapsed atop her, having only enough control to roll them so that she was above him. And then he lay there, panting, throbbing, gasping her name, unwilling to release her in any way. When finally they were both quiet, he stretched for the blanket, and pulled it over them, and buried his face in her hair, unable to do or say anything more. And she turned her face to his neck, and bit him, so that he convulsed again, filling her with his heat while she clung to him, sobbing.

When she slept, her head pillowed on his shoulder, he lay there for a short while, treasuring her, before he slept himself. He would not fail her again. Never.


	31. Chapter 31:The Morning After

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 31 : The Morning After**

**June 2273 **

He awoke, and lay there for some time, treasuring the feel of her soft skin against his. At length, he carefully disengaged himself from her, tucking the covers closely about her, and left the bed. He walked quietly about her quarters, memorizing everything that was there. When he had finished that, he went into her bathroom, and took one of the large soft towels she had there, and folded it and placed it on the floor, against the wall of her bedroom, and folded himself down to meditate.

When she drifted slowly awake, she did not at first remember what had happened the night before, and then she realized, with sudden fear, that he was no longer in her bed. She sat up quickly, and saw him there, against her wall, in that familiar pose, and relaxed. She would have laid back down again, but he opened his eyes, and looked at her. "I am here, Nyota."

"I see that you are. I'm sorry I disturbed your meditation."

He rose to his feet in one fluid motion and crossed the room to stand beside the bed, looking down at her. "I had completed my meditation. I am ready to resume our conversation, if that is your choice."

She looked into his eyes, and sighed softly. "Not before breakfast, Spock. Later."

He nodded, and she could feel his complete acceptance of her decision. "Perhaps you would care to shower, then?" He tried to hide his desire, but it was much too obvious, both through the link between them, and in the twitching of his lok, as he tried to subdue it. She laughed aloud, and threw off the covers, heading straight for the bathroom, with him right behind her.

She stepped into the shower stall, and he followed, closing the door. She waved her hand to turn the water on, and then adjusted it, making it somewhat hotter, for him. She felt him, then, through the bond, warm and sheltering, and shivered, just the slightest. It had been so long since they had done this. So very long.

She reached for the shampoo and turned about, and he bent his head down for her, the water flowing over him. She ran her hands through his hair, feeling the slick softness of it, like silk against her fingers, and felt him shudder from her touch. She rubbed the shampoo in, making great clouds of suds, and washed it out again, and handed it to him, turning about, and waiting her turn. His fingers were gentle against her scalp, massaging softly, causing her to sigh and lean into his touch. He bent his face and put it next to hers, their cheeks touching gently for a moment, heat flaring between them.

She put the shampoo up and retrieved the bath gel, squirting some out between her hands. And then she ran her hands all over his body, feeling the muscles shift beneath her hands, listening to his soft sounds of arousal until her own body was hot and demanding. When it was his turn to cleanse her body, his eyes were hot and dark, and he was making a continuous soft sound, almost a purr, that vibrated through his body and into hers. She closed her eyes, and allowed herself to fall into a haze of sensation as his hands caressed her.

It was not long at all before they were twined about one another, mouths locked together, bodies straining to be even closer than was truly possible. The long abstinence made every movement, every touch magnified, so that they blazed and burned with need. He lifted her up, and braced her against the wet wall, sliding into her body in one long stroke that made her cry out and clench tightly against him, wrapping her legs about him and clinging to his shoulders tightly with her hands. He growled, deep sound in his chest, warning her that he was loosing his control, and she cried out again as he began to slide back and forth, friction tugging at her body, his heat filling her up so completely that all she could do was wail in anticipation as his strokes became faster and then it was too much, and they were surrounded by the white hot heat, the light, the joy, the ecstasy, shattering together, clinging to each other, shaking with the power of what they had created between them.

When control returned, and his breathing was once more approaching normal, although his heart was still pounding in his side, he slowly lowered her, until her feet where once more on the floor, and waved his hand to shut off the water. They stepped from the stall onto the soft fluffy rug and dried themselves, moving slowly, like sleepwalkers.

They went into the bedroom, and she dressed herself in soft flowing garments, unlike the tightly configured uniform they wore on duty. She frowned when she saw that he had nothing else to wear, except what he had worn the night before, and went to her closet, taking down a small duffle. She went from dresser to closet, and filled the duffel with underwear, and a long tee-shirt to sleep in, and one uniform, and some casual wear, while he stood and watched, so full of longing and happiness that he did not trust himself to speak at all.

And then she led him down the corridor to his quarters, where he took her hand, and laid it on the touchplate, and entered the code that gave her full access to his quarters. And then they entered, and she put away what she had brought, and filled the duffle up again with things from his dresser, and his closet, while he changed into clean clothing. And then they returned to her quarters, and his clothing was put away, and the duffle went back onto the shelf.

He stood there, staring down at her, not knowing what to say. And then he saw, there on her desk, something that he remembered well. He turned and laid his fingers upon it, and she leaned against him. "You still have this."

"How could I not?" She picked up the small piece of driftwood, in two colors, twined so closely about one another. "You gave me this at the end of the happiest week of my life. It is not something that I will ever leave behind."

He bent his face down, and buried it against the soft skin of her neck, and treasured her. "I shall endeavor to give you many more such memories, to replace the ones that caused so much pain."

"And we won't hide anymore, not at all."

"No, we shall not."

And she was pleased, and laid down the driftwood, and drew him out, towards the mess hall for breakfast. And neither of them, at any time that day, or any day thereafter, thought to check the corridors to see whether they were empty or occupied, but went wherever they chose in full view.


	32. Chapter 32:Going Forward

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 32 : Going Forward**

**July 2273 **

They spent most of the weekend in either her quarters or his, growing ever more comfortable with their refound intimacy. They sat at the table, drinking tea, and talking, for many hours. They also curled together on the couch, touching, offering each other comfort as they relived the pain they had been through. The link between them stayed open wide the entire time, and they shared memories in that manner as well, until the link shone and glowed with pulsing energy, filling them with delight. And always there was the throb of desire, the pulse of need, that drove them to the bed again and again, convulsing about each other in great pleasure, filling each other with the bright white light of their ecstasy. They slept in each other's arms, and awoke the same way, sighing happily.

It was a time of rebirth, of great healing, and they resumed their duties at the beginning of the week with most of the previous tension between them completely gone.

McCoy sat across from them at breakfast, and watched them, so aware of each other, and realized that something of great importance had occurred. They were obviously using that link thing again, holding conversations that no one else could hear. He breathed a silent prayer of thanks, to whatever deity might have been involved, and relaxed and enjoyed the overflow of happiness that he sensed from them.

When Kirk slid into the seat next to McCoy, he immediately noticed that something was different. Spock had lost that tight expression that had been there since he returned to the ship, completely. It had been coming and going the last few weeks, but now all trace of it seemed to have vanished. He looked easy with himself again, as he had used to. He turned to McCoy, who shook his head, and nodded slightly at the couple across the table. Kirk turned back, and really looked, and realized that their heads inclined slightly towards each other. And then Uhura reached down and stuck her fork into a piece of the fruit on her plate, and ever so casually lifted it to Spock's mouth. He opened his mouth for her and took the fruit off her fork as though it were something he did every day. And after he had chewed and swallowed, he nodded, as though agreeing with something she had said, although no words had been exchanged at all. He looked back at McCoy, question on his face, and McCoy just smiled and continued to eat his breakfast.

Kirk sat there, wondering exactly what was going on. Bits and pieces began to come back to him, memories of things he had witnessed in the past, things others had said to him. He remembered the time he had called Spock into his ready room, to tell him that he had heard reports of fraternization, and Spock had flatly refused to stop his behavior, telling him that there was nothing improper in his courtship of Uhura. And now they sat there, as calm as could be, so very obviously finely tuned to one another. This was interesting. And would definitely bear watching.

The hours on the bridge passed in perfect harmony. The whole crew relaxed somehow, as though a weight had been lifted from everyone's shoulders. It was as though a great peace had descended, covering everyone and everything within sight of the couple, who did not appear to have any idea that the overflow of their emotions was affecting others. It would not have made them change their behavior one bit if they had known it.

And so it continued, as they fell back into their previously established routine, becoming ever more content in what they had between them. And their friends watched, and smiled, and were happy to see them their old selves again.


	33. Chapter 33:Finding Problems in the Ship

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 33 : Finding Problems in the Ship**

**August 2273 **

It was well known that the Enterprise had not really been ready to set out when it had been yanked out of dry dock and sent after the intruder. It had been no joke when Scotty had said she needed a shake-down cruise. And as the weeks turned into months, the list of things that were found, and fixed as well as possible, became longer and longer.

The engines had not been tuned to each other. And so there developed vibrations, which shook the whole ship. Spock assisted Scotty in developing the equations that enabled the engineering crew to fine tune the engines and eliminate the vibrations, making everyone breath easier, but then it was discovered that they had lost considerable power. No one was quite sure why. Much more research was needed, before a solution was found that both restored power, and prevented the vibrations.

There was a problem with the showers. Some would only give cold water. No one wanted a freezing shower every morning. It took three long weeks to fix that one and probably would have taken longer, if the captain's shower hadn't been one of the affected ones.

Some of the replicators only wanted to dispense liquid food, and not in a container, either. They had to be reprogramed from scratch. This took the services of one of the computer lab technicians full-time for two weeks. In the meantime, the affected replicators had signs hung on them, which people kept ignoring. The cleaning staff did not think it was funny.

Certain corridors had light panels that blinked in complicated patterns and seemed to respond to voice signals. This was only corrected when it was discovered that the control circuits had somehow been replaced with very old components used to power holiday lights that blinked in patterns according to the carol that was being played. There was no understanding how this could have happened, and it required extensive rewiring, which took three electricians four weeks to complete.

One of the cooks opened one of the large freezers and disappeared. It took the rest of the staff three hours to realize what had happened. And then they were afraid to go in after him. Medical and engineering cooperated to save his life, and then that freezer had to be disassembled and rebuilt. And still the staff refused to use it.

One of the wall panels in the turbolift shaft began to sing. In Klingon. This was unnerving to the people riding in the turbolift for some reason. It took four people two days to solve that one.

Someone had misjudged the size of the shuttles. The marks on the shuttle bay floor were improperly positioned, as was soon discovered when one of the new pilots missed his mark entirely and skidded across the floor, narrowing missing a crew working on another shuttle. The entire floor had to be remeasured and repainted, after completely removing the original marks, of course.

A whole section of floor panels had to be replaced when it was discovered that the paint used on them was corroding the boot soles of everyone who walked on it. And then the boots had to be repaired. Of course.

A whole shipment of medical supplies was found to be mis-labeled. Bones cursed over that one for a month, while trying to figure out what everything actually was and getting it all re-labeled and properly stored.

When Stores began issuing replacement uniforms, it was discovered that some of them were mis-sized. There was nothing to do but have people try them on until the correct size was determined, and manually remark them. This took a whole selection of people in all the standard sizes two weeks to complete.

Someone complained of a sickly sweet smell, which took four people three days to track down. They had to wear respirators to clean out the contaminated Jeffries tube.

Cracks were discovered in some of the support beams, and engineering crawled over the whole ship with specialized sounding equipment, re-welding wherever they found problems. That took almost a month. And then all those places had to be repainted, as well.

Some of the air-circulating pumps where found to be installed backwards, blowing air away from the crew quarters, instead of into them. Fortunately, no one suffocated before this was corrected.

At some point, people began to react to all the problems with laughter. It was a way of relieving the stress. Spock did not entirely understand it, but he accepted it, even though he did not join in. Not until the night when the captain's quarters were flooded with the strong smell of skunk, that is. For some reason, this struck him as exceedingly funny. Nyota quite agreed with him.


	34. Chapter 34:Hiding Nothing

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 34 : Hiding Nothing**

**September 2273 **

Jim Kirk wanted answers and he hadn't gotten any yet. McCoy just grinned and shook his head and wouldn't tell him anything. Uhura just smiled at her console, as though the whole world was wonderful. And Spock! Spock was his old self again, and yet he wasn't. Jim didn't remember Spock ever being quite so open, or touching so much. Of course, the main one he was touching was Uhura. Jim did notice that. There was actually quite a bit of touching going on. There was the touching under the table. Oh, not so very obvious there - it had taken him a long time to catch onto that! And then there was the touching to assist Uhura up out of her chair or back down into it, or through a door, or wherever. That hand always seemed to be ready to give her an assist. And her hand seemed always to be tucked through his elbow, as though it belonged there. How had things gotten to this point and he not been aware of it? He wanted answers and he wanted them now.

When Spock appeared in the rec room, ready for their weekly chess game, Jim was ready. He had a whole list of questions prepared. What he got in reply was mostly raised eyebrows and small shakes of the head. And lots of laughter from Bones.

"I do not believe that the answers to those questions are any of your concern, JIm. What happens between the Lieutenant Commander and myself is private."

That was simply not an acceptable answer at all! If they were going to parade around in public touching each other, and holding silent conversations that no one else could participate in, then he damn well could answer a few questions!

When he didn't get anywhere with Spock, he decided to try Uhura. But she just looked at him blankly, and then smiled, and asked him what Spock had said. And that was the end of that. He fumed. It wasn't fair! He was the captain and they ought to respect that. Obviously they didn't.

He tried McCoy again, who pled doctor-patient privilege. He couldn't figure that one out at all. But McCoy wasn't giving any more information. He stewed over that for some time, but it just didn't seem likely that he was going to get him to open up. He really took that doctor stuff seriously.

He watched them. They seemed so at ease with each other. As though they could sense somehow exactly what the other was going to do. Well, maybe they could. If they could do that silent talking stuff, there must be one of those bond things between them. What exactly did that mean? Maybe Bones would answer that. But once again, he was told to go ask Spock. Fat chance that would do any good.

She was damn happy, all the time now. Any idiot could see that. He remembered what she had been like when she arrived to be his assistant. This was a thousand times better. He never wanted to see her like that again. Maybe it was better that he just accept and stop asking questions. Whatever they were doing, it was good for them, and he heartily approved. Maybe he should just tell Spock that. Or maybe not.

Spock was himself again, and Jim really, truly wanted him to stay that way. Maybe he should just butt out. Or maybe not. It was really hard not to know all the details. Maybe he would just keep asking, after all. Spock might decide to tell him, eventually.


	35. Chapter 35:Please Leave Them On

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 35 : Please Leave Them On**

**October 2273 **

There was a request for the services of a translator, not just any translator, but the best one in StarFleet. There was a conference, on a planet only a few hours off their flight path, and the need was desperate. Spock stated unequivocally that he would fly her there. From the look in his eyes, Jim knew better than to insist that any of the pilots would do as well. And so the two of them headed for the shuttle bay, with small duffles in their hands, for a trip lasting three days.

When they were safely away from the Enterprise, and the course was laid in, she asked him if it was time to engage the autopilot. He looked at her bright expression, as she tried in vain to hide what she was thinking, and told her quite seriously that they had six point four hours before they would come within hailing distance of the planet where the conference was being held. She rose from her seat then, and came to stand beside him, and told him to close his eyes, and keep them shut until she said he could open them, with no peeking allowed. He had no idea what she meant to surprise him with, but he was only too willing to go along. This was the first time that she had been this playful, and he would not spoil it for anything.

He clasped his hands upon his abdomen, stretching his long legs out and crossing his ankles, and closed his eyes, as though to sleep. She kissed him lightly on the nose, and moved away, towards the back of the shuttle. He could hear her, moving about, and the sound of her duffle being opened. He waited, his imagination beginning to work, wondering what she had planned. And then she was there, close to him again, almost in his lap. He raised his hands, and found soft, cool skin, and she giggled, and told him he could look now.

She was wearing small scraps of golden silk and lace, barely covering the secret places of her body, and the tall black boots from her previous uniform. His breath caught in a hitch, and his lok rose, hot and heavy, against his belly. She wiggled and squirmed against him, and he tried to pull her down into his lap, but she was pulling him up. "Come on, you have to change, too." And there, sitting in the aisle, were his own boots, that had been polished until they shone. He swallowed. She was most definitely feeling naughty.

It took very little time for him to strip out of the strange new uniform, leaving it in one of the empty seats. And then she was there, astride his leg, pulling on the boots she wished to see him wearing. She might have waited until he removed his briefs. It would have been much easier to shed them without his boots in the way. She rubbed herself up and down against his leg as she struggled with the boots, and he tried unsuccessfully to resist the feelings she generated. By the time she had his boots on him, he was fully engorged and extremely ready for whatever she planned next. She danced away from him, turning about, showing him her lovely body, and he growled at her now, more than ready. Her eyes twinkled, and her nipples stood out, hard peaks against the soft lace. He could smell her so very plainly, and his shins fairly dripped with the secretions she had left behind.

He rose from his seat and advanced on her, and lifted her up, raising her core to his mouth's level, and tugged at the crotch of her panties with his teeth, while she moaned at him. He managed to pull the fabric aside far enough to bury his tongue between her nether lips, making her buck and scream at him. She curled herself over and grasped his ears, teasing them between her fingers, while she moaned and pushed her body against his mouth, until they were both so aroused that they were shaking. And then he lowered her, until her feet where on the deck, and carefully stripped off her little undergarments, his hands shaking with the effort not to tear the delicate fabric. And while he did that, her hands were busy against his own body, peeling his briefs down, freeing his lok to strain and twitch at her.

When they were both stripped down to their black boots, he picked her up, and sat once again in the pilot's seat, and pulled her down onto his lap, her legs on either side of him. He lowered her slowly, teasing her dripping entrance with the head of his lok, until she demanded that he cease his torment immediately and fill her up. Which he did then, groaning at the feel of her, tight and wet about him. He held her there, still, while he tried to regain control, but when she leaned forward, and bit his neck, he roared at her, and began to thrust up into her body repeatedly, until she clenched tightly about him and shook, squeezing him in such a lovely rhythm that his semen jetted out of him and into her in heavy streams.

She lay against his chest, her heart pounding, her breath gasping, her arms about him, holding tight. His own heart pounded heavily in his side, and he gasped along with her, as he slowly came down from the heights of ecstasy she had raised him to. And when they were calm again, he lifted her from his body, and rose, and bent her over the back of the chair, and filled her again, her cries of pleasure filling his ears and urging him on.

By the time the alarm went off, warning them to dress and prepare to be hailed, they were both completely relaxed, almost limp from expended energy and repeated bouts of intense ecstasy. And if she could barely walk when they left the shuttle, no one but he knew the reason. And there was still the return trip to anticipate.


	36. Chapter 36:A Christmas Treat

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 36 : A Christmas Treat**

**December 2273 **

As was usual, there was much merriment aboard the ship as the year drew to a close. There were parties scattered all over the ship, from the depths of the engineering deck to the sanitation department, the kitchens, the labs, and even on the bridge. Spock thought it highly illogical to conduct such activities on the bridge, but it seemed he was the only one who thought it unusual, and so he sat quietly, and watched as one officer after another imbibed just one more drink and became just slightly too inebriated to function correctly. He sighed in aggravation. What if they were attacked now? What then? But apparently he was the only one concerned.

Well, perhaps not the only one. Nyota was not joining in, either. She was smiling, and patting people on the arm or shoulder, but she had so far managed not to accept a single alcoholic beverage. He greatly approved. As the most recent imbiber left her side, disappointed at not convincing her to share his potage, he caught her eyes, and she grimaced slightly, and then smiled at him, so very soft and open. His blood began to heat as he caught the edges of her thought, of the private celebration that she had planned for them. She was attempting to keep the details to herself, and so he did not probe, but he was quite ready to join in whatever she had planned.

When their reliefs appeared, he was quick to escort her into the turbolift, and off the bridge, before Kirk or some other could stop them, and demand that they join the festivities. They would have their own festivities, very shortly. She drew him along to her quarters, and once the door was shut, gave the commands that would seal them up, together, alone, with no objections at all from him.

She went to the small cabinet where her synthesizer sat, and brought out something, holding it out on her hand to him. He inhaled once, and looked at her, his eyes darkening. She was offering him chocolate. She had not yet offered him chocolate since their reunion, and he realized that this was a very important step, that she was telling him that she fully trusted him again. He crossed the small space between them, and opened his mouth, and she slipped the small piece of candy onto his tongue, caressing his lips with her fingertips as she did. He sucked on it as it dissolved, flooding his mouth with the distinctive taste of the erotic substance. She watched as his eyes grew darker still, and his face began to soften, and she sighed and laid her hands against the sides of his neck, and leaned against him, and the flames began to rise.

She tugged at him then, drawing him into the bedroom, and began to remove his clothing, her hands gliding over his skin, drawing small, deep sounds from him, and happy little sighs from her. He allowed himself to be stripped bare, and stood before her, his lok twitching happily before him, anticipating the feel of her soft wet body.

And then she stripped herself, and laid herself down upon the bed, and he descended upon her, hands, and mouth, and lok all more than ready to pleasure her. He nibbled on her earlobes, the tender skin of her neck, the soft curves of her breasts, her sensitive nipples, already firm and poking up at him. His fingertips glided over her skin, raising small bumps as she sighed and moaned and rubbed her body against his. His lok twitched and jerked, and drops of lubricant seeped from the head, where her gentle fingers found the fluid and spread it about, making him growl at her, from deep in his chest.

His mouth moved down her body, tasting and tantalizing, the tip of his tongue flicking out to set her nerve endings afire, as his were. And she was not still beneath him, oh, no. She ran her fingers up the curved edge of his ears and rubbed against the sensitive points, causing him to burn hotter for her. And she set her teeth gently in the curve of his shoulder, worrying the skin there, making him growl again, growing ever more aroused. But when she pushed and pulled at him, until he faced toward her feet, and opened her thighs beneath his face, he shook and shuddered as he buried himself in her eager mouth and took her tender flesh in his own, his tongue and lips busy as he hovered above her, on the verge of ecstasy, his whole body afire with desire for her.

When she bowed up beneath him, clutching him tightly, trying hard not to bite him in her convulsions, he let the sensations carry him away on a wavefront of delight, potent in the extreme, shaking and growling and filling her mouth with his essence while she flooded his. The white hot heat of their shared ecstasy was filled with flashing rainbows of light as his senses tried to convert what he was feeling into something he could see and hear. He hung suspended in the haze of wonder until slowly he began to breathe again, and carefully could untangle himself from her, and turn about, and slide into her wet depths until he was completely sheathed within her, feeling still the tremors of her orgasm, not yet subsided.

He moved slowly at first, long, gentle strokes, relishing the tug and pull of her flesh against his. And then, as she clutched his sides and pushed her body up against his, he moved faster, with more force, until once again she was gasping and her body was clenching about him, the contractions squeezing against his lok in delirious compression until he could bear it no more, and released his semen within her with a great roar, shaking and shuddering above her with the intensity of his release.

With shaking limbs, he carefully rolled them to the side, and pulled her partially onto his body, wrapping his arms about her, holding her so closely against him that she sighed softly against his neck and snuggled down, her whole body going limp against him. He whispered softly to her, words that came only when he was in this state, the chocolate flowing through his veins releasing the tight controls completely, freeing him to tell her what was in his heart. And throughout his whole being, he could feel her, filled with happiness and joy, loving him with her whole being, as he loved her.


	37. Chapter 37:Going Into Danger

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 37 : Going Into Danger**

**February 2274 **

It was not in the least remarkable that they should eventually find themselves in the position of having to send a party down to the surface of a completely unknown planet. The only thing remarkable about it was that it was the first time since they had begun their shake-down cruise that this had occurred. Somehow they had managed to go for all the intervening months without this necessity. And it was completely believable that Kirk would, of course, call for the same landing party that was always his first desire. And so Spock, and Bones, and Scotty found themselves once more on the transporter deck, with two security guards beside them, while Kirk gave last minute orders to those who would stay behind, watching them from orbit. Spock could feel Nyota's apprehension, and he quietly tried to ally her fears, but he did have to admit that these men were not as young as they once had been, and were certainly not the best choice of members of a landing party in unknown conditions. But there had never been a chance of persuading Kirk of the soundness of that!

And so the technician manipulated the controls, and the familiar swirling patterns formed, and the men found themselves standing in an unfamiliar place, where the gravity was not quite right, and the air smelled strange, and they had a very incomplete knowledge of the flora and fauna that surrounded them. The two security guards had their phasers drawn, and set to stun, and scanned back and forth continuously, each of them covering one side of the party. And Bones and Spock had their tricorders out, scanning in a different manner.

Kirk charged directly forward, as was his wont, and the party must follow, no matter whether that was the best direction to head in or not. The material they needed, however, was indeed in that direction. Spock and Bones both agreed on that. What they did not know was that there was a nest of rapatiks between it and them. They did know about rapatiks, but they were not aware that there could be as many as forty of them in a nest, or that they had heat-sensing glands in their heads, or that this was egg-laying season. All things that would have been very good indeed to know, before charging off in that direction.

Scotty was the first to see movement in the bushes about them, and give cry. The two security guards fired repeatedly, and the others drew their phasers as well, but the sheer numbers were against them. Before Kirk could get his communicator to his mouth and order beam-out, both guards were down, unmoving, and there was no way to get to them. Bones was cursing continuously when they were pulled out, and Scotty ran to the console, taking the controls from the technician, and managing to bring both bodies back. Unfortunately, there was nothing that Bones could do for them, and he cursed Jim Kirk up one side and down the other. And they still did not have that mineral that they needed.

The second attempt was made four hours later. This time they set down much closer to the source of the emanations from the mineral they were seeking, and on the other side of the nest. Quickly they covered the remaining distance, and Scotty set up the equipment that would extract the mineral, with Spock's help. They kept one eye on their surroundings the whole time they were setting up the equipment. As soon as it was functioning, they beamed back aboard the ship. They would only have to make one more trip, to retrieve the equipment, and the filled containers of mineral. And this time, they could beam directly to the spot where they had set up.

Nyota was very unhappy that he was going down again, and she did not fail to let him know this. He did apologize to her for her concern, but he was under orders, and she did know this. And when they were all safely back aboard, and the mission was complete, she took him to her quarters, and checked every centimeter of his skin for injury, even though he assured her that he had come to no harm.


	38. Chapter 38:Finding Peace

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 38 : Finding Peace**

**April 2274 **

When the Enterprise went into orbit around Delta Theonis VI for extensive engine repair, and replenishment of supplies, a general shore-leave policy was quickly established. Spock lost no time at all in slotting himself and Nyota for a full week's leave, even before discussing it with her. He wished to create a new memory, to replace the last one, which was still something that they had trouble discussing, although it no longer caused as much anguish as it had previously. He spent a long time reviewing what was available, before reaching his decisions. And when the arrangements had all been made, he went to find her, to inform her of what he had done.

She was hesitant, and he did not push, giving her time to become used to the idea. And he answered all her questions as fully as possible, and brushed the side of her face softly with his hand as he did so, so that she could feel his desire to create a new memory, one which would comfort them, instead of causing grief. And then she clung to him, and he held her closely, murmuring softly to her, until she had regained her composure. When she was ready, he led her to the comlink, and showed her the cabin he had selected, and the surrounding area, a small lake, low hills, woods. She sighed, and laid her face against his, and agreed.

They went together to the transporter deck this time, in full view of whoever might care to see, and beamed down to the planet with their duffels. There would be no more hiding, none at all. They picked up their rented flitter, carefully selected to be as different as possible from the last one, and set out for the small cabin. When they arrived, she walked about, looking at everything. She stood on the shore of the small lake and watched the breeze raising tiny little ripples on the water, hardly large enough to be called waves. And she looked at the trees, crowding close, so tall and green, and sighed happily.

He showed her the cabin, and the food that he had requested, and built her a fire. They settled down on the couch, and she leaned against him while they spoke softly of many things, watching the flames flicker before them. And when she turned, and began to nibble on his neck, he was vastly relieved, for he had still not been certain that his actions were correct. But they had enjoyed this type of get-away so many times, and it had always strengthened them, and returned them to duty relaxed and ready for whatever came next, and he had not wanted to lose this experience entirely.

In the following days, they hiked on the low hills, and though the woods, and she frolicked in the water at the edge of the lake, while he watched, and exulted to see her so. And together, they cooked their meals, and cleaned up afterwards, and lay together on the couch before the fire in the evenings. And every day, they found occasions to touch, to taste, to share with each other, growing steadily more at peace with themselves and each other.

It was a healing that they had needed, and they both admitted it. It had been the right thing to do, and they were better for it, happier. The last night that they were there, they did not sleep until they were both exhausted, and limp from the intense release they had experienced. And when they were packing up to return, he brought her something that he had found upon the shore, and she took the small, elongated pebble, stippled throughout with many layers in shades of pale green and glowing cinnamon brown, and curled her hands about it, raising tear-filled eyes to his, and he held her close against him, feeling the peace and joy that filled her.


	39. Chapter 39:Bare Rock

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 39 : Bare Rock**

**May 2274 **

As they neared the edges of the newest planetary system to be discovered, it was obvious that something was very strange. There were no life readings at all, not even at the microbe level. Slowly they approached the outermost planet and Kirk ordered the scans to the main viewscreen. Rock. Bare rock. Plain and barren. Not even any dust. It was like someone had taken a giant vacuum cleaner to the surface of the planet and sucked away everything right down to the bedrock. The bridge was silent, except for one whispered voice. "What could do something like that?"

There was no answer, for no one knew. They had only seen things like this in asteroid belts, and even there, there was likely to be dust, or loose rock fragments. Here there was nothing.

They moved inwards, towards the next planet. They found it in the same condition. If anything, the atmosphere on the bridge became even quieter, more strained. There was no conversation.

They worked their way in towards the sun, examining each planet as they went. If there had ever been life here, it was impossible to find even a trace of it now. If there had been civilizations, they were forever lost. Even the moons, for those planets that had them, were impossibly clean, sterile.

When they had completed their survey, and found absolutely nothing whatsoever that they could report on, except the frightening nothingness, Kirk finally turned to Spock and asked what could have caused this. "Insufficient data, captain. I cannot guess what may have happened here. It is unlike anything that I have ever seen before."

It was too eerie. The crew was on edge. If there had been invaders, no one wanted to wait around and see what they were like. Anything that could do this was far beyond their ability to resist. And so they left warning buoys, and sent off a drone to StarFleet Command, saying that this system was so barren that it could not be natural, but that there were no clues as to what had happened. And they left, proceeding for their next assignment more quickly than was their nature.

In the quietness of his quarters, Spock sat before his fire pot and attempted to meditate. There was something about what he had seen that was violently disturbing to him. He could not quite put his finger on what it was, though, which bothered him. He was still there, brooding, when Nyota slipped into his quarters. He motioned to her, and she came and folded herself down beside him, and he slid one arm around her, pulling her close, seeking comfort from her nearness.

"Spock, I didn't like that system at all."

"Nor did I. I do not believe that any of the crew were comfortable there."

"What could have caused such sterility?"

"I do not know. And some part of me feels that we would be better off not knowing, never encountering any being that could destroy an entire planetary system in that manner."

She shivered in his grasp, and clutched at him. "I think you're right." She was quiet for a moment, and then burrowed in closer. "Hold me tight and make me forget how empty that was."

"Empty. Yes, that is the correct description. That entire system was empty." A ripple of unease flowed through him. "That was what bothered everyone. The emptiness. The stark sterility of it."

And he lifted her into his lap, and held her close against his body, and slowly the two of them eased each other, as they filled each other with comfort, sending the bleakness away, filling the emptiness with love.


	40. Chapter 40:Sparing Again

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 40 : Sparing Again**

**August 2274 **

Saturday morning arrived, and they set off for the gym. They did their normal workout with the dumbbells, and set them down, and then he looked at her, and slowly raised one eyebrow, as if to ask her a question. She looked back at him, and just as slowly, nodded her head. He took two steps, out to the center of the mat they had been working on, and dropped down into a waiting stance, and she moved to face him, took a deep breath, and began with the first feint he had taught her. She ducked under his moving arm, and slid around his back, and he twisted about, catching her. She bent, and put her shoulder against him, trying to flip him. It was wonderful!

They moved about, twisting and turning, and rolling on the mat, occasionally managing to flip each other. He was moving very slowly, and giving her many opportunities, not trying to rush anything at all. It had been far too long since they had done this. But it was exhilarating. When she began to tire, and breathe hard, he stopped, and straightened up. "Enough for today."

She nodded, and stood there, catching her breath, before moving to the treadmill. She started off jogging, before progressing to a full run, while he ran beside her, inclining the treadmill to give himself a harder workout. When they had finished the distance they were currently at, it was time for laps. And when the laps were finished, it was time to slake the thirst that the sparring had awakened. He followed her back to her quarters, and into the bathroom, where she set the water to hot and steamy.

The familiar ritual warmed them both up, until they were fully aroused and he was growling softly at her, waiting only her acknowledgement before lifting her up, and bracing her against the wet wall while he feasted on her body, causing her to cry out in ecstasy as his tongue probed her sensitive flesh. When he slid her down the wall onto his waiting lok, she shivered and clung to him, biting him repeatedly on the neck and shoulders, until his thrusts became harder and faster, and he roared at her as she spasmed about him, convulsing with his name on her lips.

He leaned against the wall, shuddering, as he slowly came back to himself, his heart pounding in his side, his breath ragged. She was draped about him, her arms over his shoulders, her face buried against his neck, her own heart beating fast and furious against his chest. When he could think again, he set her carefully on her feet and waved his hand to shut off the water. He set her on the fluffy rug she kept before the shower door, and wrapped her in a towel while he dried himself. She stood there, wavering on her feet, her eyes almost closed.

He was drowning in the waves of emotion that she was sending him, and he swept her up, and carried her to the bed, covering her with his body as he tasted and caressed her everywhere, while she moaned, and ran her hands over his body, causing such intense pleasure that he could not continue any longer, warning her with a low growl that he must seek fulfillment. He rolled her over, and pulled her hips high against him, and she spread her knees apart and turned her head to the side as he sank down into her soft wet depths, groaning at the feel of her, surrounding him. He stroked long and deep, and she cried out with the pleasure he gave her, increasing his own arousal. They moved, together, and then apart, and then together again, coming ever closer to the white hot ecstasy that finally overcame them, sending them high into the light, so full of each other that they could not tell which was which.

He barely managed to roll them to the side before collapsing, pulling her close against him as they slid softly into sleep, sated and relaxed. She was his and he was hers, and their world was complete.


	41. Chapter 41:Once More Through the Fires

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 41 : Once More Through the Fires**

**November 2274 **

It was while he was busy at his console that he felt the first tremors. He looked at his hands, the fingers vibrating against the smooth surface underneath them, and felt the beginnings of what would soon engulf him. He did not think he was ready for this. He was not sure Nyota was. Perhaps if he ignored it the symptoms would subside. But when Kirk came up behind him and made a simple request, he turned on him and snarled, and then drew back in mortification. Surely he had not just done that! Nyota turned her head and looked at him in astonishment, and he felt her, in the back of his mind, questioning. He could not decide how he should react, and so just sat there, in miserable isolation.

Jim was still standing there, looking at him in shock. "Spock, is there anything wrong?"

"Nothing which need concern you."

"That doesn't sound like the answer I was hoping to hear." Jim looked at him, his brows drawn together. "Do I need to call McCoy?"

"That will not be necessary."

"Well, something's off, and that's certain. You just don't act like that. Never." And then he was silent, and tilted his head as though remembering something, and looked straight back into Spock's eyes. "Except for once. I do remember once when you reacted in this way."

Spock was decidedly uncomfortable now, but he said nothing, staring straight ahead and maintaining his stony silence. Kirk turned and paced the few steps to Uhura's station and bent over her, his face close to hers. Spock growled. Two faces turned to him then, assessing. His ears turned quite green. He should not have reacted like that.

Kirk straightened up. "I'm relieving you from duty right now. Head for your quarters, mister, on the double." He turned back to Uhura. "Call up his relief, will you?" He watched as Spock stiffly rose from his seat and headed for the turbolift. When the doors had closed in front of his frozen face, he turned back to Uhura. "And call your own as well. I'm fairly certain I know what this is, and you better head for sick bay and speak with McCoy."

She nodded, and placed the two calls, leaving the bridge as soon as her relief appeared. She headed straight for McCoy, knowing exactly what was wrong with Spock. She could feel him now, trying to control what was happening, without much success. She needed to get to him, as quickly as possible.

When she got to sick bay, Len was in his office, and she quickly entered and shut the door behind her. "Len, it's that time again."

McCoy looked up, confused. "What time?"

"Spock's time."

The doctor's face immediately became concerned. "Are you sure? Wait, let me figure out the timing. Yes, it's been almost exactly seven years. But what is he doing?"

"He yelled at Jim on the bridge in response to a simple inquiry, and then pretended it didn't happen. And his hands are shaking. When Jim came over to my station, and bent down to ask me if I had noticed anything strange about Spock, he growled, loudly."

"Yep, that's it all right. Never seen him do any of those things under normal circumstances. Has to be all those hormones running riot in his system." The doctor sighed. "I'll bet he's beside himself."

"He's trying to pretend it isn't happening. Jim sent him off the bridge, and he's in his quarters, pacing around. I really need to get to him."

Len's head jerked. "Get him out of his quarters, and into yours. There's just too many Vulcan artifacts in his."

She was shocked. "You aren't seriously considering that he might USE any of those weapons?"

"No, but when he gets like that, there's not much telling what he might do. Although if this is the first day, it might be possible to head off the worst of it. From what I've learned the longer it goes on before, uh, relief, the worst it is."

"And that's why I'm going to go take care of things, right now." With that she turned and left sick bay, walking swiftly, scarcely hearing the comment behind her that they were both going on medical leave as of right now. She headed straight for Spock's quarters, and tapped the touchplate, but when the door slid open, she did not enter. She simply stood in the doorway, blocking the door, and looked at him, until he acknowledged her.

"Come with me." She brooked no disagreement at all. He recognized that tone in her voice, and could not argue with it. He followed where she led, his complete attention on her. She went down the corridor to her own quarters and entered, with him right on her heels. She headed straight for her bedroom and began to remove her clothing, while he stood there behind her, shaking. When she was bare, she turned to him and sighed, and then began to remove his clothing, while he simply stood there, making small noises, deep in his chest.

As soon as she had him stripped, with his lok hard and dark against his belly, she dropped to her knees, and engulfed him, and he moaned, loud and long, at the feel of her wet mouth on his tortured flesh. Her hands came up and clutched his buttocks, pulling him into her, and he vibrated, completely out of control, his climax coming swiftly, loudly, and explosively. She swallowed, again and again, until he was finished, and then she slowly withdrew down his length, releasing him with a soft pop of sound. She stood again, so close to him, and he rested his forehead against hers, welcoming the calm that she had brought him.

"Nyota."

"Yes, Spock."

"I need you."

"Yes, I know, love. Come on now, on the bed."

He let himself be led, and laid upon her bed, but would not release her, clutching at her hands.

"Spock, you have to let me go or I'll lose my balance."

He let her loose, uttering a small sound, but she was quickly there beside him, spreading herself out over him, filling him with her scent, and the feel of her soft, smooth skin against his. "You're so hot. And shaking. Ah, Spock, let me in, let me help."

"I do not wish to expose you to the thoughts that I have. My logic is fast deserting me. The fever is claiming me."

"I know, baby, I know. But let me in anyway, let me help." And she began to kiss him softly, running her hands over him, and he opened his mind and let her in, her soft calm enveloping him. He sighed, and relaxed and let his hands wander over her, as hers did over him.

He let her set the pace, this time, knowing that soon it would not be possible, and she enflamed him until he could not hold back, and rolled her over and buried himself within her, thrusting hard and fast, until she screamed at him and convulsed about him, bringing the ecstasy that he desired, needed, would die without.

He lay quietly for a while after that, until the fever rose again, and he muttered at her, hands and mouth insistent against her body. She moaned, and sighed, and whispered to him, enflaming him further, until he lifted her above him, and empaled her, and filled his hands with her lush breasts as she bent over him, rocking her body against his in lovely motion, causing him to growl and thrust up hard into her body, until once again they were soaring through the light.

He slept then, for some unknown length of time. His internal clock was not functioning at all. She was still sleeping when next the fires pulled at him, but he retained enough thought to know that he must not injure her as he had unintentionally done once before. And so he bent his body, and found that nest of curls, parted it with shaking fingers, and applied his mouth and tongue, until she was bucking beneath him, crying out, wet and ready for him to plunge in.

And so it went, until they were both exhausted, and lay upon one another, wondering when this would stop. He found that he could think again, at least for the moment, and allowed her up, into the bathroom, without him, although he trembled until she returned, a glass of water in her hands. He managed to drink half of it before he must stop, and she lay down again, and brushed his hair back from his face, speaking tenderly to him. And then they slept, deeply, and when they woke again, he let her pull him into the shower, and cleanse his body, leaning against her, unsteady on his feet.

Dressed in tee and loose pants, he sat at her table and sipped hot tea, and then a bowl of soup. But the fires were not entirely gone, and when he reached for her, shaking again, she was there, slipping easily into his lap and caressing him, biting him gently on the neck, and rubbing against him until he rose and carried her back to the bed.

Twice more they did this, and then he awakened clear-headed, and knowing what the day was, and the time. Another day, spent quietly, eating and resting, and he felt himself again. And was much encouraged that he had not harmed her this time, and that she was still there with him, and not unhappy.


	42. Chapter 42:Who Have We Found?

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 42 : Who Have We Found?**

**January 2275 **

Once again the Enterprise was sent to patrol the Neutral Zone. It was while on this rotation that they found the planet Hellguard, formerly the site of a Romulan base and prison camp. There were people there, almost feral, who had been living on whatever they could, surviving on the bare edge of starvation. It was a long and tedious process, fraught with frustration and sadness, to find them all, and coax them out of hiding, to feed them, and heal them of their illnesses, and begin to rehabilitate them. And it was not something that could be done in a day, or a week. But as their time there stretched out into a month, the number of roving life signs declined, and they began to see the end of their assignment. It was near the end of this time, when they had taken to sitting about fires in the evening, hoping to lure the last of fearful ones to the heat, that he saw her for the first time. A child, still, naked, dirty, hair tangled, obvious hungry and cold. He took a ration bar and quietly unwrapped it, and laid it on a rock at arm's length, and waited.

Slowly she crept out of the shadows of the trees and stole from one small bit of concealment to another until she could snatch up the proffered treat and flash away, much faster than she had advanced. Beside him, Nyota made a muffled sound, and he cautioned her. This one was defiant and angry, but most of all scared. They must be careful, or she would go into hiding.

At breakfast time, they sat once more in the clearing, and ate and spoke loudly about how good the food was. And all the while, another plate sat, at the edge of the clearing, waiting. In a flash, she darted from between the trees, and grabbed the metal plate, and disappeared again. Good, they had established a pattern. This they could work with.

They enlisted McCoy's aid, and filled the next offering with antibiotics and vitamins. It disappeared as fast as the others. They waited, through two more agonizing days, feeding her at every meal, until they were certain she would appear when next they brought out the food. And this time, there was a sedative in it, certified to be harmless to her. When she darted off, Spock lifted his tricorder, and tracked her, waiting until she stopped her movements before proceeding. He found her huddled under the roots of a tree, almost invisible in the dark, and carefully lifted her up and returned to the fire, where McCoy quickly scanned her, before transporting up to the ship. She was Vulcan, at least partly. He was stunned. This was not expected. He had taken her appearance for Romulan, and that was not entirely ruled out. Perhaps she was a hybrid, similar to himself.

They continued in their mission until there were no more life-signs to be found, and then they disassembled their camps, and returned to the ship. Each day, he and Nyota visited her in the special ward that had been set up. Nyota and Chapel cooperated in bathing her, much to her distress. She screamed and cried, but they continued, until she was clean, perhaps for the first time in her life. They dressed her in simple clothing, which she did not understand, and sat and brushed her hair, trying to get all the tangles out. She did not like that at all. Nyota discovered that she bit.

They could not get any speech out of her at all. None of the other captives would admit to knowing anything about her. Finally, he advanced slowly upon her, and laid his hand gently on her face, and tried to comfort her, filling her with peace. The look on her face was astonishing. And she spoke then, for the first time. "Who?"

Nyota recognized the word, and spoke to her now in Romulan. "He is Spock. He is your friend. I am Nyota. I am your friend, too. All of these people are your friends, and will not harm you."

She did not believe. That was very obvious. But each day, they came again, and spoke to her, and dressed her again in the simple clothing, and washed her, and brushed her hair, and she began not to fear them.

StarFleet began to find the places from which the rescued people had been stolen. Arrangements were made to transfer them, slowly, as each was identified, to places where they had family, or friends, or simply a place that was familiar. But this little one had no relatives, nothing that could be discovered to identify her. And so it was that he placed a subspace call to his mother, and informed her of this child, and was told to bring her to them as quickly as possible.

When the Enterprise was as close to Vulcan as it would get on this sweep of the sector, Spock and Nyota boarded one of the shuttles, with Saavik held tightly in Nyota's arms. She clung to Nyota, fearful of the large open shuttle bay with its loud noises and bright lights. She was more comfortable once they were inside the shuttle, and Nyota strapped her into a seat, covering her up with her favorite blanket, and telling her to stay put. The short flight was a constant battle to keep her seated and quiet, for this experience was new to her, and she did not handle new experiences well at all. They were met at the space port by a car and driver, and once again must keep her settled as they progressed towards the large country estate belonging to his parents.

Arriving there, they had to urge her out of the vehicle, and she cowered against them under the high hot sky, not liking the openness at all. Nyota took one hand, and Spock the other, and the driver followed with their small luggage. Once inside the house, out of the bright sun, Saavik relaxed somewhat, but she kept darting glances here and there, trying to find escape routes and hiding places. His parents would have their hands full, of this there was no doubt.

Amanda came flying towards them, and enveloped first him, and then Nyota, in a happy hug, before bending down in front of the young girl. "And you are Saavik, are you not?" But all she got was a puzzled look.

Nyota explained that the only language she knew was Romulan, and not much of that. "You will have to teach her Vulcan. She has been so traumatized that I haven't even attempted it yet. Just teaching her to bathe and wear clothing and eat with utensils has been tiring enough."

Amanda nodded. "Spock has kept me appraised of her condition and progress. She will have a full time attendant, until we are sure that she will not try to run away. And we have added a silent fence around the house, to detect if she tries to leave the enclosed yard. Sarek is quite concerned that she would perish if she got out into the desert."

Spock agreed with his mother. "She has no desert survival skills. All her life has been spent in or near a wooded area. I am glad that you have taken this precaution."

They had a month's leave, to help her acclimate, and it took every single day of that time to make her understand that she would be staying there, that this was her home now. They all worked with her, teaching her the Vulcan words for everything about her, and she took to this well, her mind thirsty for knowledge, now that her body was healthy, probably for the first time in her life. Seeing so many people around her who looked more like her seemed to be helpful as well, for which Spock was extremely grateful. Having been able to rescue her body, he was now glad to see that her mind was being rescued as well.

Healers were brought in to examine her, and they had much experience with children, not frightening her in the least. And slowly she began to accept this place, and these people, and this life, so different and new. But perhaps it was the sehlat pup that Sarek brought home the last week that they were there that was the turning point. It was never more than a foot from her from the first moment, and slept curled up around her each night.

When it came time for them to leave, she clung to them, and asked them to stay, but they could not. Amanda, also, would have preferred that they stay longer, but knew that their duties prevented it. But she made them promise to return, when it was possible, and they did so, knowing that they were welcome. Even Sarek told them he was satisfied with their visit, although much more stiffly than Amanda. But just before they turned to get into the ground car to return to their shuttle, Nyota leaned forward and kissed Sarek's cheek, to his great surprise.

When they were aboard their shuttle, headed back to the Enterprise, Spock turned to Nyota and asked her why she had done that. "Because he's your father and he should know that we care about him." He considered her answer, and the look on Sarek's face, and that on Amanda's face, and nodded. And then he spent the next several hours showing Nyota how he cared about her, to her great delight.


	43. Chapter 43:Bright

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 43 : Bright**

**August 2275 **

Over the years, they had been in very strange places, but this had to be one of the strangest. The atmosphere had no clouds whatsoever. The sun shone down strong and bright, full in a clear sky, both night and day, every day of the year. It was fairly disconcerting. He noticed that the other members of the team were vaguely uneasy, for no reason that they could ascertain, and he judged it must be because they were used to the random appearance of clouds in the sky, and here there were none.

It was only after they had been on the surface for some time that people began to complain of eye problems. And it was not until his inner eyelid involuntarily closed that he realized that they had a real problem. It was too bright. The passing clouds of most other planets gave momentary relief from the brightness of the sun, but here there was none. It was always bright.

They tried several different remedies, but in the end, it was only goggles that worked. The goggles shaded the eyes, and protected them, and allowed the crew members to do their jobs. But they lost peripheral vision. Hopefully, this would not be a problem. There did not seem to be any large predators on this planet.

Large turned out to be the operative word. The predators were not large, but they were fast, and traveled in groups. They barely managed to beam out in time to avoid being overrun. There must be another solution that did not make them blind to danger. It was up to McCoy to figure it out. He fussed and fumed, but eventually came up with contact lenses, which he had found in very old medical journals. No one had used them for a very long time, surgical correction being done at a young age, as soon as problems with eyesight were diagnosed.

They had a practice day, when everyone that might go down to the surface had to wear them. People complained bitterly, their eyes watering and red. McCoy reformulated the wetting agent, and gave them some relief. And then there were three crewmen who 'lost' their lenses somewhere in their eyes, and had to go to sick bay to have them retrieved. Perhaps this was not the best solution after all. He began to question what there was on that planet that was so important. Jim couldn't say, either, only that StarFleet had requested a completed survey.

They wound up putting four sentinels on an elevated platform, each one watching in a different direction. The entire platform had to be moved periodically, and was unwieldy as well, but it seemed to work. The survey was finally completed, and everyone returned to the ship.

But the eye problems were not gone. Some people had suffered from sunburned eyeballs, and others had had allergic reactions to the wetting agent. There were two men who seemed to have lost their peripheral vision from wearing the goggles, and McCoy said they had undiagnosed eye problems that he would now have to correct. Spock seemed to have been the only one who suffered no lingering problems with his eyes, for which he was extremely grateful.

This did not stop Nyota from examining his eyes very carefully, every time he returned from that planet, and for several weeks after that. She wanted to be absolutely certain that there was no unobserved damage. He was quite touched by her concern, but assured her that he was undamaged.


	44. Chapter 44:Friends and Relatives

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 44 : Friends and Relatives**

**February 2276 **

When the comlink chimed to tell him there was an incoming message, he thought nothing of it, that is, until he saw whose face was on the screen. He had never once received a comlink call from his father, not in all the years since he had left Vulcan for StarFleet Academy. He gave the traditional greeting, fearing something dreadful must have happened to cause this strange occurrence.

"Greetings, my son. I am sure you must be astonished to see me." Sarek looked slightly - embarrassed. "Your mother has prevailed upon me to use common sense. It is not logical that we do not use the methods of communication that are available to us to keep in touch."

"I find that I agree with her, sa-mekh. It is good to see your face and hear your voice. I hope all is well there." At least his mother must still be alive, if she was urging his father to call him.

"All here are well. Saavik has out-grown all her trousers and must be taken to the seamstress to be measured. She has refused to do this and your mother is trying to reason with her." Where his father's eyes actually twinkling? "She has also been feeding her sehlat pup in her bedroom, much to her attendant's dismay. However, she has much taken to the lessons your mother has been giving her, and is now fluent in Vulcan, as well as able to do basic arithmetic, and write simple words."

"She is adapting well, then."

"Yes, I would say so. The healers say that she has completely recovered from her early years of starvation, and should not have any problems in the future. They did perform several small interventions, to heal things that were not quite right in her body."

"This is good to hear. I did worry that she would have permanent damage because of what she endured. I hope she is not too disruptive in your lives."

Sarek looked back, his face perfectly calm. "Sometimes a life needs a little disruption, as your mother is quick to tell me. The care of her is a pleasure. Thank you for bringing her to us, my son."

Spock's lips quirked up. "I am glad that she has found a good home. If at any time, there is anything that Nyota and I can do to assist you with her, please let me know."

"I believe she would enjoy a visit now and then. As would your mother. And I would not be adverse, either." He looked at his son, and his eyes were not blank and dark, as Spock remembered them, but open and welcoming.

Spock nodded, finding it hard to speak for a moment. "We will come when duty allows it and we are close enough. This is all that I can promise."

"It is enough. You are welcome at any time." There were a few more interchanges, and then they signed off.

Spock sat at his desk and mused over what had been said - and what had been implied. And Nyota came up behind him, and ran her arms over his shoulders, laying her face next to his. "I think you just got an apology."

"Perhaps so. At any rate, a wish to place our differences behind us. I find this most acceptable."

/

At the weekly chess match, Jim seemed much quieter than normal, so much so, in fact, that Bones asked if he needed to come down to sick bay to be checked over. "Damnit, Bones, can't a man just sulk in peace and quiet?"

"On this ship? Oh, no. Here everyone gets in your face and wants to know what's wrong. Isn't that right, Spock?"

"Indeed, the doctor is quite right. I do not remember you ever leaving me alone when I wished solitude."

"That's different." Two set of eyes looked at him in astonishment, two eyebrows drew up in almost the same gesture. "Well, it is! I mean, Spock wouldn't ever get out and mix if we didn't push him. I'm different. I'm always out there for everybody. Sometimes a little alone time would be nice." He huffed and squirmed about.

Bones looked at him long and hard. "What happened? Some little ensign slap you for getting too fresh? One of the regular after-hours visitors to your quarters that no one is supposed to know about stop coming? You get caught by two women who didn't know you were playing around with the other one?" Jim's face got redder and redder as the list of supposed infractions grew longer, until Bones burst out laughing.

Jim sheepishly grinned back. "Okay, so I was just being silly, wasn't I? Just down in the dumps a bit. Can we just focus on the game now?"

Spock nodded. "I think that would be best. The doctor was running out of ideas, anyway." Beside him, Bones just chuckled.


	45. Chapter 45:Entertaining Friends

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 45 : Entertaining Friends**

**May 2276 **

They had set aside one evening a week, when he played his ka'athyra in the rec room, and she sang. They enjoyed it, and so did their friends. They often got requests, most of which they could fill. And when they got a request for a song they did not know, often they would make an effort to learn it, if it seemed an appropriate song after they had heard it. Sometimes she would bring her own ka'athyra, and they would play duets. This was well received as well. And occasionally, someone else would sing, either with or without Nyota joining in. It was not the same to him, when someone else sang, but still, it was enjoyable.

He always felt relaxed after an evening spent playing in the rec room, full of pleasant memories. And afterwards, in the privacy of her quarters, or of his, they would curl together, and speak of many things, and touch each other, and caress each other slowly and gently, lingering over it, murmuring softly to one another, until they were overcome with ecstasy. And afterwards, they would sleep, curled about one another, deeply relaxed. He found he much looked forward to those evenings.

It was with some misgivings that he agreed to Nyota's request to hold a small gathering in her quarters, for just their closest friends. He was entirely unsure of this activity, having never done anything like it before. She assured him that it was a normal activity, and that no one would think it odd, but he was still uncertain. She looked at him them, and slowly asked if he felt embarrassed, or too exposed, by this joint activity, and he hastened to assure her that that was most definitely not the case, and that he felt no worry at all about that, for all their close friends were entirely aware by now that they were a couple. And so she relaxed, and smiled again, and was happy, and he was relieved.

The evening of the gathering, he was there early, helping her to move her furniture a bit, putting all the pieces back against the walls, giving more room for people to move about. She had her table filled with plates of small delicacies to nibble on, and a small bar set up, with several different options for people to choose from. She seemed nervous, checking everything over and over, until he came up behind her, and enveloped her in his arms, and told her that everything would go smoothly because she had planned well. She was fine after that, and he relaxed.

Their friends began to trickle in, and fill a plate, and fix a drink, and stand around talking. The room was just large enough that the number of people in it did not feel crowded. He moved about, as he had often seen his father do, talking to each small group, and then moving to another. He found this much more interesting than he had anticipated. Each conversation had its own merits. Perhaps there was more to being an ambassador than he had thought.

The evening ran very smoothly, with much laughter, and Nyota was extremely pleased. And when the last guest had departed, the clean-up went very quickly, and then she was in his arms, telling him how happy she was that they had done this. He found that his misgivings had been entirely unnecessary. He was not even sure at this point why he had had them. And most certainly, this evening had established the fact that they were together, publicly. He found that most satisfying. As did she. And her actions to show that to him were extremely satisfying to both of them.

/

Author's Note: I have another obligation and will be unable to post new chapters again until Monday, August 23. Regular new chapters will begin again then.


	46. Chapter 46:Scrapes and Bruises

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 46 : Scrapes and Bruises**

**September 2276 **

Of course, something went wrong. After all, they were on a totally unexplored planet, and Jim Kirk was in charge of the away team. The fact that all six of them survived did not mean that they were untouched. There were scrapes, and bruises, and a few broken bones. Nyota took him back to their quarters and cleaned him up and fed him and took him to bed and sang a lullaby until he fell asleep with his head resting on her soft breasts.

The next week was no better. And all the scrapes and bruises from the last landing had not yet healed. Unfortunately, this time they almost lost one of the security guards. He remained in a coma with an unknown outcome for several days, and then began drifting back towards consciousness. But it soon became apparent that his recuperation would be long and slow. That blow to the head had lasting consequences. Spock meditated for hours at a time, trying to relieve the guilt he felt over not being able to stop the attack on their party. Nyota treated his own minor wounds, and fixed him herbal teas, and curled herself around him as he tried to relax and sleep.

Again, their party came to no good. They left both security guards lying on the ground, broken and bleeding, when they beamed out. Scotty had to readjust the transporter scanners to accept the dead bodies before he could beam them up. Bones was highly irate, and Spock could not blame him. There was no excuse for this loss of life except failure to plan ahead. It did not seem to matter what anyone else said, Jim Kirk did what he wanted to. Nyota took him by the ear and led him back to sick bay and stood there with her arms crossed under her breasts until McCoy said he was sufficiently repaired that he was released. She took him back to her quarters then and stood him in the shower and washed the remainder of the blood and dirt off of him, but got out of the shower before doing anything else. He wasn't _that_ injured. She fixed him plomeek soup and spicy tea, and let him sit and read his technical journal until she was ready to go to bed. And then she lay down next to him in the position she called 'spoons' and went to sleep while he laid there and wondered if he was ever going to get another chance to enjoy her lovely body. He was beginning to be very unhappy with Jim Kirk.

The fourth and last week of the month, when they were preparing to beam down, Jim was practically dancing, he was so excited. But Spock walked up to him, and clenched the front of his captain's shirt in his hand and lifted him up off the floor. "If you do anything illogical or unthinking which results in injury to any member of our team, no matter how insignificant, I will inflict the same injury on you. I am tired of coming home injured and being treated like a little child until I heal, and do not wish this treatment to continue any longer. Be advised that you are warned." And with that he opened his hand and allowed his captain to drop to the floor.

Kirk looked at him in astonishment. Spock had never, ever acted like this. He couldn't imagine what had caused it. He was on his best behavior for the entire four hours that they were on the planet. No one got so much as a hangnail. They came back to the Enterprise, clapped each other on the back and took off for the mess hall. All except Spock. He went straight to Nyota's quarters and proceeded to demonstrate for the next four hours exactly how uninjured he was. To her very great enjoyment.


	47. Chapter 47:Woods and Desert

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 47 : Woods and Desert**

**January 2277 **

They had two full weeks of leave and had planned it carefully. First they would have a week in a cabin, beside a lake, surrounded by woods and low hills. And from there they would go to Vulcan, and spend a week with his parents and Saavik. They packed carefully, and went to the shuttle that they had been allowed to take and made the short trip from the Enterprise to the planet where the cabin was. By the time the sun had set, they were unpacked and settled in, having taken a short walk about to familiarize themselves with the area. He built a fire in the fireplace while she started a meal, and then he went to help her, setting the small table and following her directions to chop vegetables and fetch her ingredients. They sat and ate and talked, and after they had cleaned the kitchen they lay upon the couch and watched the fire flickering, and then he slowly removed her clothing and kissed and caressed her entire body, until she was trembling and moaning beneath him. Somehow his own clothing seemed to have disappeared as well, and his lok was rubbing against her belly, spreading the drops of lubricant that were oozing out over her soft skin. He moved, just enough to align himself with her opening, and then he was sliding in, heat surrounded by cool, dry coated with wet, so many sensations, so much pleasure. He moved against her, sliding in and out, groaning at her, his mouth against her neck, while she gasped and moaned and moved beneath him, pushing up at him, wanting him, needing him, loving him. And when the ecstasy came, she pulled him along with her, rising so high, burning in the white hot heat of it, until they could not hold any more, and collapsed, breathing rough and ragged, hearts pounding.

In the mornings they used the bed well, and then showered together, where he braced her against the wet wall while he held her up and devoured her, listening to her shriek and scream his name, so full of ecstasy that she could not think, could not do anything except convulse about him. When she could breathe again, he would slide her down the wall and empale her with his engorged lok, shuddering with the pleasure it caused, and she would clutch his shoulders and lean forward and bite his ears and neck and shoulders while he pounded into her, until they were both carried away on a tidal wave of ecstasy.

When they were dry, and lightly dressed, they prepared breakfast together, and often sat outside, in the morning sunlight, watching the sparkling light on the water, while they ate. During the day they took walks in the woods, on the low hills, around the shore of the small lake. And in the evenings, after the kitchen was clean, there was always a fire, flickering in the fireplace, on two people twined about each other, talking softly, until the fires burned high again, carrying them away.

When the time came that they must pack and go, neither of them truly wished to leave, but they understood duty all too well. And so they left that place of peace, and strapped themselves into the shuttle, and headed for Vulcan.

They were met at the spaceport by a car, sent by his father. They settled themselves down in the cool interior, and rested up while they were driven to the estate where his parents lived when they did not have to be in the city. Their bags were carried inside, and his mother met them at the door, hugging them both. Saavik was right behind her, practically jumping up and down at seeing them again. She took one by each hand, and dragged them about the house, showing them everything as though they had never been there before. Her sehlat followed them around, moaning at her, but she never stopped until they had covered the whole house. Then she allowed them to sit on the covered patio, with tall glasses of fruit juice, and converse with Amanda, while she wrestled with the sehlat, much to its joy.

Sarek came to join them then, and they spoke of many things, until the servants came, and said that end-meal was served. Saavik was told then to go in and wash, and the sehlat followed her, chuffing and moaning, knowing what was coming. When she had washed, she went into the kitchen, and filled his bowl with large chunks of fruits and vegetables, and left him there to eat, coming and sitting down beside them and eating with almost perfect table manners. She had not yet learned that most Vulcan meals are eaten in silence though, and chattered off and on throughout, finally realizing that no one else was speaking and clapping her hand over her mouth in belated realization of what she was doing. Amanda bent sideways and spoke softly to her, and Saavik finished the rest of the meal in silence.

After supper the men played chess and the women talked, and Saavik took her sehlat and went to her room to study. And so the days passed, quietly, in conversation and the occasional walk in the edges of the desert early in the morning, before it became too hot. There were no conflicts, although there were the occasional strained silences, while two men who had not spoken to each other for far too many years tried to think of what to say to each other that would not remind the other that there were far too many details of the other's life that were unknown. When a subject was stumbled across that sparked the interest of both without causing any feelings of guilt, it was strung out as long as possible, until every last drop of dialog that could be wrung out of it was expressed. It was obvious to the two women that both men wished to reconcile their differences, but were having difficulties in expressing this desire. And so they often left them alone together, knowing that it would be easier for them to have these awkward silences unobserved.

By the time they must leave in order to reach the rendezvous point, the truce was firmly established. Sarek even rode into the city with them, and stood by the side of the shuttle as they boarded, bidding them farewell and a safe journey, and adding his wish that they return when it was convenient just before Spock pulled up the steps and closed the door. He stopped and assured his father that when the opportunity again presented itself, they would return, and Sarek nodded his head, and stepped back out of the blast area. When they were aloft, Spock rotated the shuttle, so that they could see Sarek, standing there, watching them rise into the sky. He was quiet for some time, and Nyota did not press him, waiting to see what he would say about their visit. Finally he did speak. "It was not as bad as I had anticipated. We were able to speak to each other, near the end, without stumbling. Perhaps we will eventually find a satisfactory place where we fit together."

She reached over, and extended her two fingers, and he met hers with his, stroking hers softly. And then he spoke again, more hesitantly, but with more emotion in his voice. "If you and I could find our way back together, after all the pain that we went through, surely my father and I can do as much." And she filled him with her love, and her confidence that he would be able to do just that, and settled back to watch him as he piloted them home.


	48. Chapter 48:Giants Lived Here

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 48 : Giants Lived Here**

**March 2277 **

Long-range scanners could only tell them so much. There were obviously ruins on this planet, scattered widely. There must have been a civilization at one point, but they could not now detect any signs of life larger than a small arboreal mammal. There were several types of small mammals, and some lizards as well, and flying things of some sort. Not abundant life, but it was not scarce, either. It was as though this planet was recovering from some disaster, and had not yet made it all the way back.

The captain prepared carefully for this excursion. The threat that had been made seemed to have sunk in, and he acted in a more restrained manner now. McCoy had remarked to Spock one evening in the mess hall, that he thought Kirk had been threatened with a desk job again, for he had been acting very strangely lately. Spock considered, and wondered whether that might not be behind his exuberance on the away teams, that possibly he had been acting out against the feeling that he was too old for this type of duty. Whatever, the reason, he seemed to be more in control of himself now, and acting with more caution, and more consideration of possible danger.

There would be four teams going down, in different areas. They would all report to Uhura every half hour, and their progress would be tracked and mapped. Kirk headed one team, Spock the second, McCoy the third, and Sulu the fourth. As Sulu rarely got to participate in away teams, and even more rarely was in command, and he was grinning widely as the teams decked themselves out in paraphernalia. McCoy was muttering, as usual, and Spock was scanning the crowded room, making sure that everyone had the correct equipment. Scotty called the first team to the pad, and Kirk and his three scientists and two security guards stepped up and positioned themselves. McCoy's team went next, followed by Sulu's team, and Spock's team went last, after he was assured that everyone else had arrived at the correct location with the correct equipment. What they did after that, he could not control, but at least they would start off on the right foot.

Each team reported in to Uhura with their initial location, and she marked the display above her station, using a different color for each team. She split the main viewscreen into four parts, and projected one team's visuals into each part. Scotty got to the bridge just as she had finished that, and settled down into the command chair, looking from the marked map above her console to the viewscreen, until he felt that he knew where everyone was. And then they waited.

Each team had a designated quadrant to search, and it did not take very long at all for the comments to start coming in. Each team had found ruins in their quadrant - and what ruins they were! "They must have been giants!" Sulu was so excited that he was practically yelling. "These buildings are 30 meters tall, and that's for one floor!" He was standing inside a building, directing the camera he carried up at the ceiling, far above him.

Kirk's team found a park, with fountains and benches, and sent pictures of the scientists sitting on the benches, their legs swinging freely, far from the ground. They couldn't even reach the lip of the bottom tier of the fountains.

McCoy's team had found some badly damaged murals, and were trying to clean them off so that they could be photographed. They couldn't really tell yet what sort of beings were depicted. And they could only reach the first two meters to clean, which wasn't really going to give them a good idea, anyway.

Spock's team had found what appeared to be a library. Most of the books were so old and disintegrated that they could not even handle them, but they had found some sort of electronic recording media as well. They were trying to figure out what it was, and how it worked, without much success as of yet.

As time passed, there were more and more indications that the being that had built these buildings had been far taller than any other beings known to the Federation. Compared to the size of the animals on the planet now, it made no sense. If there had only been these very small animals available, they would have spent every available hour of the day trying to find enough food to simply survive. Nyota became more puzzled the longer the teams were on the ground, sending up information. It was not until McCoy's team got a large portion of that mural cleaned, and could see what was revealed, and Spock's team figured out how to activate the ancient electronic recordings, that a picture of the failed civilization began to emerge. There had been larger animals. And apparently, they had all been eaten. And then the civilization began to starve. One by one, cities had been abandoned, and people had moved together into smaller places, trying to raise enough food by farming to survive. But it had not worked. Their metabolisms had required so much protein that vegetable sources could not provide enough. Eventually, their numbers grew so small that the gene pool was not large enough to be sustainable. And practically all animal life on the planet was gone. The seas were practically empty. They were reduced to eating small fruits and vegetables, and they began to fail.

When all the teams were back aboard, the information was all compiled. McCoy still could not understand how such large beings had evolved, when the vegetable life on the planet was so much smaller. It made little sense. And there was not enough information left in usable form for them to determine how this had happened. But it was very clear that the intelligent beings that had built the buildings now in ruins, had starved to death because they had eaten everything possible that lived on their planet, and could no longer maintain their huge bodies with what was left. It was a sobering thought, indeed.

They sat around the table in the mess hall, pondering what they had learned. Surely there was a lesson in there that could be applied to all the other species in the galaxy. Never outgrow your food supply, one man suggested. They were all familiar with colonies that had failed because their food supply had not grown quickly enough to maintain them. And planets where famine had decimated the population before help could arrive. They shook their heads, and were very glad that they had access to synthesizers and stasis units. Hopefully, such an ending would never come their way.


	49. Chapter 49:Chocolate Milkshake

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 49 : Chocolate Milkshake**

**June 2277 **

When he came into her quarters, she was standing before the synthesizer. "I have a new recipe. It is for a very old drink, a sort of semi-frozen drink that is high in protein, but sweet. Would you like to taste it?"

He raised one eyebrow at her, for she knew that he was not much inclined toward sweet foods, other than fruit, but he recognized her eagerness, and so he agreed. She punched the buttons, and opened the door, and took out a large glass, frosted on the outside, and filled with something solid-looking and very pink. She took a thin object out of the synthesizer as well, and got a spoon from the drawer underneath, taking the whole thing to the table and sitting down.

She handed him the long thin thing and he looked at it. It was round and hollow, like a reed. "You put it in the glass and suck on it and the milkshake comes up the straw into your mouth."

"This seems an awkward way to consume it."

"Well, if you just lift the glass and drink, you will get it all over your face. I know. I tried." She was grinning at him. And so he put the straw in the glass and sucked on it and got a mouthful of very cold semi-liquid that tasted something like strawberries. It was definitely sweet, and very, very cold. He took several more sips, and looked up, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Too cold?"

"I am afraid that it is not much to my liking. Would you care to finish it?"

"Perhaps another flavor?" She seemed very eager. He reluctantly agreed to try another flavor. She went back to the synthesizer and pressed more buttons, and before she even opened the door, he knew what she was giving him. She walked back to the table and set the glass before him, handing him another straw. This milkshake was not pink. It was a pale brown color. And the smell was enticing. He looked at her, and she grinned even wider. "I think you'll like this one better." She sat back down and began to drink the strawberry milkshake.

He drew the new glass closer to him, and put the straw into it. He took one sip, and then another, and then a third, and then he pulled the straw out and sucked all the milkshake off of it, and took the spoon she had left on the table and began to eat the milkshake quickly, in big spoonfuls.

"Spock, not so fast. You'll get a headache from the cold."

He was well aware of that. He could feel the cold in his sinuses. However, the chocolate was so enticing. It was very difficult to slow down. Finally he did have to stop, and inhale warm air, pinching the bridge of his nose again. As soon as possible, he was consuming the remainder of the milkshake, while she laughed from across the table. "You will give me this recipe."

"Oh, no I won't. You will have to come here and get them."

He rose from his chair and went and lifted her up, until her face was right before his. "You will give me this recipe."

"No, no, never." She was giggling and wiggling against him and having a great time.

He reached out and ripped her clothing from her body, and applied his cold mouth in several very sensitive spots while she alternately moaned and giggled, but still she refused to give him the recipe. He lifted her higher, and assaulted her most tender place, thoroughly wetting her with his cold tongue, and she shrieked and grabbed his ears, and wrapped her legs about him, pulling herself even closer to him, but she would not give up the recipe.

He carried her to the bed, and ripped off his own clothing while she watched and waited, and then he jumped onto the bed and proceeded to have his way with her, several times, leaving her limp and sated, and extremely happy, but still she refused to turn the recipe over to him. "You understand that continued refusal will result in the re-enactment of this afternoon's punishment?"

"Oh, yes, I truly do. When would you like to try again?"

"Tomorrow. I find I am too sleepy to attempt it again tonight. The chocolate has run its course." He collapsed down beside her and pulled her over on top of him, wrapping his arms around her. "Does it come in dark chocolate as well?"

"I will see what I can do." She giggled at him again and snuggled closer, settling down with a deep, satisfied sigh. He pulled the covers over them, and they were both asleep in less than a minute.


	50. Chapter 50:Strange Duties

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 50 : Strange Duties**

**October 2277 **

Chekov looked at the captain blankly. "Do vhat, sair?"

"You heard me, get to it." And Kirk turned around and stomped off, leaving one very confused navigator behind him.

Chekov turned to Sulu, who refused to look back at him. He turned to Spock for backup, but the first officer had his back turned. Sighing, he rose from his station and proceeded to the transporter room, where his presence had been requested to escort their visiting dignitary to her quarters. It seemed she had fallen in love with his accent when she heard him speak from the bridge while she was conversing with the captain.

/

"Me? Why me?"

"Because you know more about plants than anyone else on the ship and that ...ambassador … is half plant."

"But that's so far out of my line…"

"Just shut up and get going."

"Yes, sir." But Sulu stomped his feet all the way to the improvised quarters of the being they were escorting to its first Federation conference. Change his rooting soil, indeed! He wasn't a housekeeper!

/

"But, But...I canna do that, captain! Tis… tis too strange."

"But Scotty, you're the only male crewmember who's used to wearing a skirt."

"Tis nae a skirt! Tis a kilt, mon! Skirt me bloomin' arse!"

"Scotty! That's an order!"

"And ye can take your order an…"

"Scotty!"

The highly indignant Scotsman stomped off in the direction of his quarters to change into full dress regalia to welcome aboard a very strange dignitary who he certainly hoped would never come on board again.

/

"But you're the only one on board who can speak that language!"

"I don't care! You can't make me stay in the room with that insufferable bully another minute! Find someone else and give them a universal translator! I'm not going back in there and you can break me back down to ensign if you want to!"

He would have gone after her, but Spock was standing there, and somehow he just didn't think it would be a good idea to take out after Spock's woman and threaten her. No, not a good idea at all. He turned back toward the conference room and Spock held out his hand. There was a universal translator pin in it. Dejected, Kirk took the thing and stuck it to his shirt. Bracing himself, he opened the door and went back into the roaring mob inside.

/

Spock looked at Jim incredulously. Surely he was not serious. "Vulcans do not indulge in that sort of behavior."

Jim looked at him helplessly. "I'm under orders. I have no choice but to order you to accompany me. It won't really be that bad. It's only one day."

"Show me the orders."

"They're secret. I had to destroy them after reading."

"You are lying."

"I swear to you that I'm not. This is direct from StarFleet Command. Ask Uhura."

Spock turned his head in her direction. "There was a message. It was encoded and marked Secret. I just passed it on to the captain. I have no idea what was in it."

Spock looked back at the captain, arms folded across his chest. "I refuse to wear that ridiculous costume, and I will not dance. The entire idea of a masquerade ball is offensive to my very nature."

Kirk turned to Uhura, a helpless look on his face. "Talk to him. Make him understand."

She got a very pensive look on her face. "Perhaps it would be helpful if I went along."

Spock raised one eyebrow at her.

"Well, if I was there, you would only have to dance with me. I would keep everyone else away from you."

He thought about it for several minutes before grudgingly agreeing. And that was how Jim Kirk wound up insulting the Majarini of Kapor. But that's another story.


	51. Chapter 51:Visiting Vulcan

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**Although I do not own Star Trek itself, or any of the original characters, those characters which I have developed myself, and those situations which I have written about, and the story names I have created, belong to me, and may not be used by anyone else without my permission.**

**/**

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 51 : Visiting Vulcan**

**January 2278 **

Once again, the Enterprise was passing close enough to Vulcan that a shuttle trip was feasible. Spock made a subspace call, and received his mother's enthusiastic invitation to come and visit. He and Nyota packed, and set off. They would spend a week on Vulcan, simply visiting. Saavik would undoubtedly be overjoyed to show them everything that she had learned in their absence.

The trip was short, and uneventful. Their greeting was as wild and joyful as expected. Amanda hugged them both, and Saavik danced about, so excited that she could not stay still. Fortunately, by the time Sarek arrived home from the meeting he had not been able to reschedule on such short notice, she had settled down some. Her sehlat, on the other hand, was still feeling the results of her vivacious activity, and charged up to Sarek when he entered, almost knocking him over. Abashed, she quickly drew him off to the kitchen, and gave him a large plomeek root to chew on, much to his delight.

This visit was much easier than the last. There was now a definite give and take between father and son. Although there were still periods when they struggled to find the right thing to say, they were slowly working out how to react to one another.

In the evenings, they sat on the patio behind the house, surrounded by the lush flowerbeds that Amanda had created, glasses of cool juice in their hands, and talked until the stars shone out. Nyota particularly enjoyed these evenings, settled in comfortable padded chairs, the gentle breeze bringing a measure of relief from the mid-day heat. She and Amanda found much to discuss, including the misadventures of a much younger Spock, somewhat to his dismay and discomfort. He did try to persuade his mother not to bring up such things, but without much luck.

Saavik showed them everything there was to see, in great detail. At times she seemed to forget that Spock had grown up here himself. He allowed her this forgetfulness with some amusement, finding that seeing his childhood home through her eyes was extremely interesting. She was attending school now, and he wondered how she was fitting in. He could tell that she was more reserved when Sarek was home, and wished there were some way he could question her about her school experiences, but thought it better not to. He had no wish to discomfort her, or cause her to see problems where none might exist.

He took Nyota on a few short trips about his parents' estate in their flitter and once on his father's hoverbike. He showed her places where he had roamed when he was a child, and she marveled that he had come so far on foot in the merciless desert heat. Perhaps he began to understand his mother's concern over his adventures. He was glad that Saavik had not taken to such wanderings.

Their visit ended too quickly. He did admit that. Nyota hugged his mother and Saavik, and said they would be back when they could. His father clasped his arm, but said nothing, and he did not know what might be said. In the end, he only said farewell, and allowed his mother to kiss his cheek, and hug him, as she always wished to do. It was when they were in the shuttle, on their way back to the Enterprise, that Nyota laid her hand softly against his face and told him that it was all right to miss them. He looked at her, and started to protest, and then nodded. She was correct. He did miss them. He could accept that now. He had changed and grown, and expanded himself, and he found that he liked his life much better for it. He pulled her over, into his lap, and wrapped his arms around her, just sitting there quietly as the shuttle flew silently home.


	52. Chapter 52:Winding Down

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**Although I do not own Star Trek itself, or any of the original characters, those characters which I have developed myself, and those situations which I have written about, and the story names I have created, belong to me, and may not be used by anyone else without my permission.**

**/**

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 52 : Winding Down**

**April 2278 **

They were almost to the end of their current mission - the one that had started so strangely, with the crew coming back together in strange fits and starts, taking time to merge back into a strong working unit. And now they were stronger even than before, more finely attuned to one another, working as one even when strange things happened and red alerts sounded.

Kirk sat in his ready room, starting at the message he had received from StarFleet Command. It was almost certain that he was going to lose part of that well-oiled machine. People were going to be promoted, and in order for that to happen, they were going to have to be transferred off. He wanted his people to get the recognition that they deserved, but he didn't want to lose them. Whatever he did would be wrong. He sighed, and looked up as his First Officer entered. "I'm not going to be able to stop it this time, Spock. Not even if another threat like V'Ger comes along. Some of them are going to be gone when we start the next mission. Even I may be gone. I don't know whether I'll be able to hold them off or not."

Spock settled down in the seat across from him. "Do you know who will be promoted off the Enterprise?"

"No. And probably won't until they get their orders after their leaves are over. It's just going to be wait and see." He propped his elbows on the desk and sunk his chin down on his fists. "And who knows who we'll get in exchange. Certainly not anyone of the same caliber as the people who will be leaving. After all, the reason they are leaving is because there's no way to promote them on the Enterprise."

Spock only nodded, calmly, not adding to what had been said. After all, it was not logical to repeat truthful statements. The two men sat there for several minutes, lost in thought, until Kirk sighed. "Don't guess there's anything we can do about it except accept it."

"That does appear to be the case."

"Can you be back on board a week before we're scheduled to start our new mission, so that we can go over the changed crew and make new assignments as necessary?"

"Affirmative."

"And Uhura will come with you, right?"

"Most definitely. We will accept no assignments that separate us." This was said calmly, but with a very definite tone of voice. Kirk knew that he meant exactly what he said.

"What if they try to promote you to Captain? What will you do then? Leave me high and dry?"

"I will not accept. I have no wish for that responsibility. I am a scientist and wish to remain so."

"You may not get a choice."

"There is always a choice. It may not be the one that StarFleet prefers, but there is always an alternative to unacceptable orders."

Kirk did not understand how he could say such things so serenely. He shook his head. Well, if he was still on the Enterprise when it headed out-system again, then he would have his First Officer and Communications Officer both with him, or he would have neither of them. And he would not know until they all got their orders. He sighed again, and then he straightened up. "Okay, Spock, time for us to do something distracting, to take our minds off this."

One slanted eyebrow raised up. "You wish to be distracted?"

"Yes. Absolutely. What do you suggest?"

"I do not believe that a game of chess will suffice." He tilted his head slightly and focused on the bulkhead behind Kirk. "Perhaps...Yes. That will do." He stood up, and clasped his hands in front of him, raising them over his head. Without any warning whatsoever, he brought them down quickly, hitting dead center on Kirk's desk, breaking it in two.

Kirk jumped up out of his chair and backed up, yelling. "What the hell? Why did you do that?"

"I believe that you have been requesting more spontaneously sparring opportunities? Consider this one." Spock was now circling around the broken pieces of the desk, avoiding the spill of papers, PADDS, and comlink equipment on the floor, headed for Kirk.

A devilish grin appeared on Kirk's face, and he began to circle as well, trying to find an opening to make his attack. When McCoy opened the door ten minutes later, the entire room was a wreck, and Kirk was suspended in the air by Spock's hands, while the captain tried in vain to secure his release. Spock was just standing there, not even breathing hard. "What the hell are you two doin' in here?"

"The captain requested that I distract him. I believe I have succeeded."

"Distract him? It looks like you're tryin' to kill him!"

"No, Bones. If he was trying to kill him, his hands would be around my neck." Jim was still trying to get loose, without any success at all.

McCoy leaned against the wall and shook his head. "You two are just overgrown boys, playin' and havin' fun. I knew it all the time."

Spock turned his head in that direction and looked extremely put out. "I am just following my superior officer's orders. There is no fun involved."

"Yeah, right. Like I really believe that. You just keep on thinkin' that. See where it gets you." The doctor's face crinkled up and he laughed and shook his head, watching Jim's feet flailing a good foot off the floor.

It was when Nyota came to the door to see why he had not come to meet her for supper, and first gasped, and then joined Bones in laughing, that Spock began to think that perhaps he had gone just slightly too far in distracting the captain.


	53. Chapter 53:Losing Crew

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 53 : Losing Crew**

**July 2278 **

The Enterprise was restocked, a number of repairs had been made, and Jim Kirk now held the papers in his hands that told him which crewmembers he was losing, and who would replace them. He was sitting at his desk, shaking his head, when Spock walked in. Spock sat down in the chair on the other side of the desk, and Kirk passed over the papers. He waited while Spock read through them. When Spock raised his head and look across the desk at him, he sighed. "I can't say that I wasn't expecting Sulu and Chekov to be on that list, but it's going to be very hard not to have them around anymore."

"I do agree. Both are excellent officers, with fine skill sets. And the replacements are nowhere near as skilled or experienced. Thankfully, we have good officers left on beta shift who can be moved to alpha shift. We shall have considerable work to do, however, to adjust all the necessary schedules in the remaining time."

Kirk could only nod at him. Twenty of his top, seasoned officers had been transferred off, given promotions that he could not have offered them here. And in return, he had received twenty people just promoted to lieutenant. At least, they were not green ensigns. He sighed. They did indeed have their work cut out for them.

Spock looked at him. "And how did you persuade the admiralty to let you remain in this position? I did hear rumors that you were being reassigned to Headquarters."

"They tried. I pointed out that taking away most of my top tier of officers and then turning the ship over to a new captain would be a big mistake. It took a lot of persuading, but I finally got my point across. But I don't think they're going to take that much longer. If I get another year or two out here in space, I'm going to be lucky."

Spock nodded, his mouth pursed in a tight line. That was his opinion as well. Their long years of working together were numbered.

/

The next day, the twenty officers who had been transferred off were on board, packing and moving out to their new assignments. They got a chance to have one last meal with them in the mess hall before the anti-grav trollies started moving their crates down the corridors to the transporter bay. And the next day the crew started reporting in. They had to welcome the twenty new crewmembers, who of course did not come in all at once. Between running back and forth to the transporter bay, and working on the new shift assignments, they were kept busy, right up until everyone was on board, and it was time to post all the assignments and open their orders for the new mission.

The first senior staff meeting without all the familiar faces was a hard one. Kirk hated changes like this. He knew it was necessary, but still, it was just plain difficult. But everyone was working hard at settling in and taking on their new responsibilities. And Spock was there, by his side, just as he had always been. They made a good team, balancing each other out. When he was finally forced back dirtside, he knew that Spock would not be there. Spock was not a desk jockey, not a politician. It would be lonely without him and Bones to sit and talk with. He was not looking forward to it at all.


	54. Chapter 54:Watching Movies

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 54 : Watching Movies**

**November 2278 **

If there was one entertainment that the crew of the Enterprise never went without, it was movies. From the very latest holovids to ancient black-and-white films which had been carefully preserved and restored before being transferred to more current media, they watched them all. Every time a new shipment was received, the list of titles was extensively discussed and argued over, with different factions of the crew wildly excited over entirely different types of this entertainment. There were those who knew every single comedy ever filmed, and debated the timing and delivery of the lines of the actors in those films with great heat. And there were those who watched only the movies based upon wars and other military actions, comparing the enactments with military history, and latching onto even minor deviations with precision. Then there were those who craved the thrill of the horror genre, blood and guts and carnage of all types their desire. But the greatest group of film-watchers were those who loved the old romances, and sighed over the escapades of the lovers depicted therein.

Nyota fell into that last category, and was wildly happy with every new film added to the ship's library that contained even a hint of a love story. Thwarted lovers, star-crossed relationships, happy-ever-afters, even those stories that presented two angry people who eventually realized that their antagonism hid attraction, they all called to her. And so it was that Spock found himself once again seated in the darkened theatre by her side as she alternately sniffled and beamed at the adventures of two unlikely people, drawn together by love.

He did not understand many of these plots. He had informed her of this, and she now took great care in explaining to him all the nuances of the strange events that unfolded on the screen. Not during the movie itself, of course, but afterwards. He still did not understand most of them, but he let her continue to inform him, knowing that it pleased her. And it pleased him to see how she enjoyed these films, although he still was not sure that such strange behavior was logical in any way.

He found that "The Princess Bride" intrigued him on many levels. There were interesting characters there. "Love Story" distressed him immeasurably. He found he sympathized far too much with the male character in that story, knowing that he would be devastated to be in that situation. "Sleepless in Seattle" confused him completely. Those people were completely illogical in their behavior. "Bringing up Baby" was another that he found totally confusing. Bringing such a dangerous animal into their home could have no logical foundation whatsoever. Many of the stories were full of songs and music, with the plot being so thin that it made no sense whatsoever. He finally realized that it was the songs which were important in these movies and that the elaborate dance numbers had nothing at all to do with the story. Nyota loved them all. From the silent movies from the early part of the twentieth century, with their elaborate facial expressions and posturing, to the almost pornographic holovids produced by one of the Orion syndicates, she watched every one that came onto the ship, which meant that he watched them, as well.

And then, slowly, he began to realize that he was learning things from these movies. As he watched her watching them, he began to recognize certain things about her, certain things that made her sigh with pleasure as she watched. And so he modified some of his behavior, making it more like the things she seemed to like. And was rewarded, with tender kisses, and gentle touches, and pleased responses to his overtures. Perhaps these movies had some redeeming values, after all.


	55. Chapter 55:Just Staying In

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 55 : Just Staying In**

**February 2279 **

As the holiday that he knew Nyota looked forward to the most approached, he attempted to find out what she wished to do this year. There would be the usual dance in the mess hall, of that he was certain. If she wished to go, he would take her, and dance with her. Although he still felt awkward about this, he would no longer allow other men to lay their hands on his bondmate. If she wished to dance, it would be with him. But she did not seem to be interested.

He was not sure why; he knew that she was not ill. She was also most definitely not angry with him. That was extremely obvious from the activities which went on each evening in the privacy of their quarters. Nor did she seem to be angry with anyone else, or dissatisfied in any way. Still not sure what it was that she wanted, he managed to procure a box of her favorite chocolates, subduing his desire to consume them on the spot. He also obtained a large bouquet of red roses and lilies, knowing how much she liked both kinds of flowers. On the day in question, he rose while she was still sleeping and brought both out from hiding, arranging them on the table in her quarters before slipping back into bed beside her. This was not a duty day, they could remain in bed as long as she wished.

And when she began to rouse, it was very obvious that that was exactly what she wished to do. One quick trip into the bathroom, and she was back, sliding down his body to assault him with tongue and teeth and lips, as well as fingers, making him shudder and groan and growl at her as his lok twitched and jerked and swelled from her ministrations. When he was on the edge of his control, she rose over him and slid down, seating him firmly and deeply within her body, rocking back and forth, moaning, until he grabbed her hips and thrust up at her, flooding her with his essence while she convulsed about him, sending him into the white hot light of ecstasy.

She folded herself down, and lay her head on his shoulder, breast still heaving against him, and bit his neck while she was still panting for breath. He growled at her, his hands moving over her body, touching, caressing, making her moan and cry out at him. Twice more she convulsed about him before she collapsed, all limp, the link between them flooded with satiation. He held her and stroked her softly as she slid back into sleep, lying there for some time treasuring the sensations she had roused in him.

When she woke again, they showered, very leisurely. He made sure that she was entirely limp again before he turned the water off, having held her above him as he tasted her thoroughly, before pulling her down his body to empale her with his painfully engorged lok, raising and lowering her body until she screamed at him and pulled him back into the ecstasy with her.

She seemed just slightly uncoordinated while they were drying off, and he realized she had had nothing to eat yet this day. He carried her back to the bed and arranged her against the pile of pillows she had there. And then he went to the synthesizer and brought back strawberries drenched in sweet cream and fed them to her, one by one, followed by soft sweet biscuits, laden with orange marmalade. She sighed and licked her lips, and pulled him back into the bed, running her hands through the dark hair on his chest, playing with the flat nipples that hid there until they throbbed, as did other parts of him.

When she had finished her games, and was laying sated again, he arranged her over him, and covered her up, and let her sleep again. It appeared that she had had her own plans about what they would do this day, and he could not say that he found them unappealing. No, not at all.


	56. Chapter 56:Did You Have to Remind Me?

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 56 : Did You Have to Remind Me?**

**May 2279 **

There were two ways he could go. He could completely ignore the event that was soon to occur, or he could anticipate it, and celebrate it. It was a quandary. He did not know with any certainty which she wanted to do. She was entirely silent on the subject. And if he did not wrong thing, she would be extremely unhappy. He sighed. This was not easy, not at all.

He went and found McCoy, and sat in his office, sipping the strong brown liquor that the doctor preferred. It took him twenty-four point three minutes to get around to the subject at hand.

"That's a tough one, Spock. Whatever you do is likely to be wrong. Some women just don't want to be reminded at all, and others don't seem to care." He took another sip of his drink, and sat there quietly, thinking. "Don't say as I ever remember her speaking of this particular topic. Or the subject in general, much, either. Can't remember that she ever had a party to celebrate. I would say not to go public with it. Something private would be better."

Spock nodded gravely. The doctor was supporting what he had thought himself.

The next day, however, he approached Jim, and got an entirely different response. "Oh, man, you have to really knock yourself out. I mean, this is a real milestone. You need to throw her a surprise party, and do it up right."

He supposed there might be some truth in that, but it just did not seem to feel right. He didn't think she would like to have this particular event celebrated all over the ship. And so, eventually, he went with the advice from Bones, and planned a private celebration. There were flowers, and chocolate, and candles burning, and soft music. He brought her to his quarters, and she stood and sighed, looking at what he had done. "Ah, Spock, you remembered."

"I cannot forget. I am Vulcan."

She smiled at him. "Yes, I know, and your memory is ever so much better than mine. But you didn't just ignore it as illogical."

"Celebrating the date of your birth is not illogical. If you had not been born, I would be alone. Your birth is an event of great importance to me."

"That is about the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me." She stretched up and kissed him, and then turned to investigate the flowers and the chocolate. And discovered the small cake, centered among the candles, the top covered in tiny spirals of scented wax. She exclaimed and began to count.

"There are exactly 40 candles there, Nyota. That is the correct number."

"Yes, yes it is." She smiled and sighed and leaned against him, all soft and happy.

"And now I shall bestow the remainder of my wishes." He bent his neck and began to kiss her softly, counting each one aloud, until he had given her the entire forty, and she was radiating joy over the link. "Happy birthday, k'diwa. And I hope there are very many more."


	57. Chapter 57:Another Cabin

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 57 : Another Cabin**

**August 2279 **

It had been two and a half years since they had been able to find the time to spend in a cabin, by a lake. There had been several trips to Vulcan, for short visits, to see how Saavik was growing, and to strengthen the developing bond between father and son, but not enough more for themselves. It was past time. And so he searched along the path that the Enterprise would take, and found a planet near enough, that had woods, and hills, and lakes, and found a cabin and reserved it. When he told her what he had done, she showered him with kisses, and fondled his ears, until he growled at her, and lifted her up, and carried her to the bed.

They used a shuttle to reach the planet where they would stay, retaining it for the trip back. There were enough on the Enterprise that they could keep one for a week without it being a problem. They landed just outside the town, and walked in to retrieve the keys they needed, and the coordinates. And then they were airborne again, for a short while, until they settled down beside another small cabin, set near the shores of a small lake, with low rolling hills all around, and woods.

They spent their days hiking through the woods, talking quietly to one another, speaking of things that that hurt them in the past, laying all the ghosts to rest once and for all. They were comfortable with each other again now, closer even than before the problems had arisen. They understood each other better, more deeply. They did not try to hide anything from one another now, telling the other if an action confused or hurt, seeking to keep the communication between them always open and free.

In the evenings they sat near the shore, watching the colors from the sunset reflected in the waters of the lake, streaking it so that it appeared to have flames beneath the surface. And as she leaned against him, his hand would rise, and his fingers touch her face, and they would sink ever deeper into their bond, blended into one, until he rose and carried her into the cabin, to the bed, or the rug before the fireplace, where they would join their bodies as well as their minds. They shared their ecstasy, feeling what the other felt, knowing where to touch, to taste, how and when to move to the next pleasure, to prolong and extend the ecstasy, soaring together into the white hot light.

There would be no more mistakes. They knew each other too well now. They would not fail each other again. She would be there when he needed her, and he would be strong for her, protecting her, always. It was a surety that they knew, deep within, and did not question.

With each day, they became calmer, more at peace with themselves and with each other. And when they must pack and return, it was not with sorrow, but with joy, that they had had this time, and this final touch of healing, to make them strong, and whole, and thoroughly one.

Back on the ship, McCoy looked at them, and knew without a doubt that they were both finally healed. They did not need to say a single word to him, the look of them was all it took. Kirk watched, with confusion, not quite understanding the change in them, small and yet important. Whatever it was, he wished more of his crew had that feel to them, as though nothing could or would touch them with harm again in their lives. He could use that, work with that, if his crew all had it. When he asked McCoy, the doctor just shook his head and told him to forget it. But it was not something that one could forget easily. He wished he could have it for himself, but had no idea how it was procured.


	58. Chapter 58:Rumbles

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 58 : Rumbles**

**December 2279 **

The captain of the Enterprise sat in his ready room, having listened to the communique from StarFleet Command for the fourth time. He still found it difficult to believe what he had heard, and surely there was some way that he could circumvent these orders. Surely. He heaved a great sigh, and rose from his seat, pacing about the room. He did not want to leave the Enterprise. He most certainly did not want to spend the remainder of his time in the service stuck behind a desk. Why were they so insistent? At least they had given him a short time to prepare, to finish out a portion of the current mission. He would not have to pack and go tomorrow. Still. It was not what he wanted.

Over the next few weeks, he found the time to speak privately with each of his senior officers. Each of them expressed displeasure at the news that was spoken. However, none of them seemed to feel that there was anything he could do to prevent it from happening. He swore each to secrecy, until he must reveal his departure to all, yet still, somehow the idea seemed to leak out, and there were rumbles about the ship, talk among the crew. He saw eyes turn in his direction, voices suddenly quiet when he walked by. Not what he wanted at all.

As the end of the year drew nearer, he realized that this would be the last year that he celebrated these holidays in space. The last year that he would see a brightly decorated tree sparkling against the lights of the stars going by. The last year he would stand expectantly under replicated mistletoe tied to the overhead plates of a metal corridor. The last year he would sample Scotty's special punch. He sighed again. So many things that he would miss.

Perhaps, if he was lucky, there would be other trips out into space, occasionally. Nothing like living permanently on a starship, but still, surely there would be opportunities now and then, if he kept his eyes and ears open. Inspection tours, perhaps.

He began to wander about the ship, remembering all the things that had happened during the years that he had been the captain. He had memories about almost every part of the ship. Good memories, bad memories. Times when the ship had been invaded, when even the minds of the crew had been invaded. The years had been full, one experience piled on top of another. There had not been many stretches of time when things had been quiet, not on this ship.

And when he lay upon his bed at night, after these excursions, he realized that all these different experiences had molded him, stretched him, changed him. He was who he was today because of all these things, and all the officers and crew who had served with him throughout those years. Some of whom were still here on the ship, in its current crew. Others were gone, either serving on other ships or retired, or killed in action. Those he regretted, but it happened. It was part of life. Part of his life. And he would not trade those years for any other thing that he might have done. This life had suited him perfectly. If he had to move up, he would do so, but he would never give up the hope that he would have more years on a starship sometime in the future. He would have to work at finding a way to ensure that. Surely he could find a way if he tried.


	59. Chapter 59:Diplomatic Harmony

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 59 : Diplomatic Harmony**

**March 2280 **

This was almost certainly the last major undertaking before the change of command on the Enterprise. It was fitting that it be something so cloaked in pomp and circumstance, such a diplomatic coup, the first time that the people of this planet had entertained representatives of the Federation. The whole planet was celebrating. There would be a huge ball tonight, and the members of the senior staff would all be there in full dress uniform, representing both StarFleet and the Federation.

Scotty, of course, was wearing his kilt. He looked dashing and romantic, and was surrounded by a crowd of locals, eager to learn about this strange clothing.

Kirk stood at one end of the room, with the head of the planetary government, discussing the terms of the treaty that they would sign the next day. He held a glass in his hand, but only drank from it sparingly. Bones had warned him to be very careful. The liquor here had something in it that could be harmful in large amounts. Bones himself was not far away, discussing the medical team that would soon be here, to instruct the locals in methods of preventing the major childhood diseases.

And so Spock and Nyota found themselves the only ones who were free when the music began to play. And were motioned out onto the dance floor to open the ball. With carefully concealed reluctance, he led her out, pulling her against his body in the proper position for the national dance, which they had studied carefully on the ship before beaming down. The music began, and he swept her around the room, feet moving in the complicated pattern, his face turned always to hers. Through the link between them, he kept them coordinated, so that they turned always in the same direction, stepped always in unison. And when the music ended, there was thunderous applause, and a rush of people eager to complement them, before the music started again and they were allowed to leave the dance floor and retreat toward where the captain stood.

"You did good. Glad it wasn't me out there with my two left feet. How did you manage to learn that whole thing so fast?"

"We did study it before leaving the ship. They provided us with graphic images."

"Yes, but, that dance is way complicated and long to boot." He shook his head. "And very important to them, as well. I think you just cemented the treaty."

Spock glanced at him, slightly shocked. "Do you mean to say that they would not have signed the treaty if we had not danced well?"

"I think that's just what I meant. They REALLY take this thing seriously. And they were very impressed."

Nyota was equally surprised, wondering aloud how a whole planet could base the decision about joining the Federation on the ability of two StarFleet officers to dance a local dance. Spock found he had no answer for her, except to restate that it was extremely fortunate that they had practiced before hand. Nyota just smiled at him, remembering how she had coerced him into practicing. His ears turned slightly green, and Kirk looked at them, wondering what was going through their minds.


	60. Chapter 60:The Time Has Come

**Unfinished Business**

**Chapter 60 : The Time Has Come**

**June 2280 **

The day had finally arrived. He packed the final bag and tugged his uniform shirt back into place, lifting the strap over his shoulder and turning to survey the bare rooms about him for the last time. He supposed Spock might move in here if he wanted, although the room was no larger than the one he already had. He knew Spock was still not happy about becoming the captain, but there had been no other he would have left the ship with. And he had finally gotten that across. Spock would do well, he had no doubt of it. He sighed once, and then straightened up, and walked out the door and down the corridor to the transporter room. Scotty was there, behind the console, ready to transport him to the Yorktown. And Spock stood beside him, ready to assume command, his hands clasped behind him in his normal pose.

He had not wanted any fanfare. He had been very explicit about that. There had been the party last night, and that was enough. He stepped up onto the transporter deck, finding his way to one of the lit discs, and stood there, as ready as he would ever be.

Spock took two steps forward. "I relieve you."

"I am relieved." It was done. He was no longer the captain of the Enterprise. He nodded his head at Scotty, and felt the familiar swirling tingles start. And when they stopped, he was on the Yorktown, and headed to Earth. Next stop, StarFleet Command Headquarters in San Francisco.

/

Spock stood staring at the empty transporter deck. It would not be the same without his friend there to speak to every day. Although he had spent much time extracting Jim Kirk from problems of his own making, still, he had counted him as one of his few good friends, and he would miss his presence. It was not until Scotty muttered that the ship would never be the same again that he turned, and nodded, agreeing, before heading back to the bridge.

He seated himself in the command chair, not looking to the science station, now manned by someone else. He had agreed to accept this position, knowing that it was what Kirk wanted, that the other man would have been very hurt if he had refused. It was still not what he wanted, but he would fulfill his duties in his normal, efficient manner. He did regret that he could not simply turn his head and observe Nyota now. She was behind him, and he would have to swivel his chair about to observe her, very obviously. He suppressed a sigh. He had given up much, and he was not sure that he had actually received anything in return. The change in rank did not impress him at all.

But he could feel Nyota's warm presence, there in the back of his mind, soothing, comforting, and he composed himself, and gave his first orders as captain, sending them off into the black of space in pursuit of their next adventure. Kaiidth.

/

Kaiidth = what is, is.

This is the last chapter of this story. The sequel "In Command" will begin tomorrow.


End file.
